Love Soon
by BeBraveLive4Me
Summary: After that frightening incident with fakeDerek how will Peyton deal? Takes place after I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and is titled after John Mayer's Love Soon.
1. Chapter 1

"He-he told me we belong together…" Peyton stated with a shaky voice. Her heart was still thumping hard in her chest, reliving that horrifying experience in her mind. "And he… He tried to— He had…" her muffled words blurted out as she felt Derek pushing against her in her mind. She finally choked on her words, breaking down in tears.

Coming to her side, Lucas leaned over a seated Peyton to find her a mess. Luke took her into his arms, letting his friend cry on his shoulder. He held Peyton tight for a moment, showing her he'd be her strength. He took a deep breath, eyes closed, before looking up at the police officer at his desk. Lucas signaled the officer to give them a minute, which was gladly given to them.

Lucas pulled back slightly to look Peyton in the eye. "You okay?" he asked in a worried voice.

Nodding, Peyton wiped the tears from her eyes. She tried her hardest to shake it off, but there was still a state of fear lurking in her. She pressed her lips together with her eyes closed tightly. As she opened them once more, she only stared into Lucas' eyes, hoping that focusing on something warm and friendly would cure her. "It's just too much," Peyton whispered with her body stiff. She closed her eyes once more, trying to clear everything from her mind.

"Hey," Lucas stated as he knelt down, straight across from her. He took his hand to her chin and raised her head so he could see her face. "It's gonna be okay, Peyton."

Peyton sniffled back and instantly started shaking her head, tossing her blonde curls about. "You don't know that," she remarked.

The bags under her eyes were dark and tired. Her cheeks were tearstained, and her skin blanched. Her nose and lips were a bright shade of pink from all the crying, screaming, and distress. Peyton looked like she had been through hell itself, twice. And even though she was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, Lucas could still see the beauty of Peyton Sawyer as he stared up at her.

He hated that he couldn't promise anything to her, knowing how scared she must be. But he also knew that he'd give his all to keep her safe. "Maybe I don't…" he started, trying to think of something to ease her mind. "But I'm pretty sure the last time we got into trouble, I promised I wouldn't leave you," Lucas said, referring to the shooting at Tree Hill High School. He reached up again, positioning Peyton's face by her chin once more. "And it still stands, Peyton. I'm not leaving you."

Peyton sniffled yet again. This time, her tears weren't from the anxiety, but from the fact that Lucas was still by her side. She knew she had put him through so much, always needing him to save her. She hated that time and time again, she had only been the damsel in distress to him, but for once, she felt like she wasn't just a chore to him. Yes, he saved her because he's a good guy, but that's not the only reason. Something inside of Peyton told her that he also came to her rescue for the simple fact that he wouldn't let anything happy to her. His promise meant more to her than he knew.

Tears streaming from her eyes, Peyton stated with a faint smile, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Lucas."

Lucas moved his hand up and brushed his thumb gently against her cheek, removing her fallen tears. "And you're not going to find out," he remarked with a relieved sigh. He had doubt that his words would mean anything to her, and it was a giant load off of his shoulders that they did. He loathed seeing Peyton so distraught, and he was just glad that he could do something about it.

"You two should head home, get some rest," the officer commented, standing next to them. He gave them a sympathetic look and returned back to his seat behind the desk. The officer took a few papers and shuffled them together, tapping them against the top of the desk to straighten them out. "We have enough information to file your report. Come back tomorrow to answer some more questions, and then we can start looking for this guy."

Nodding, Lucas stood up and moved aside. He was exhausted, and knew that Peyton must've been feeling the same, both physically and emotionally. Ready to leave, he started to step away, but he noticed that she wasn't anxious to make any movement. "Peyton?" he called out, waiting for her to join him.

Staring across at the officer, Peyton asked, "You guys aren't looking for him now?"

The officer looked up at her, peering over his papers. He had expected the two of them to leave willingly, but was surprised to see her sitting in the exact same place, hardly a muscle moved. "There is a lookout for him, but we don't have enough information at this point to find him or make a move."

"Then I'll give you the information," Peyton stated boldly, but still in her shaky voice. She swallowed hard and added, "Right now." She continued staring that the officer, almost as if she was completely lost in a trance. Peyton just couldn't stand thinking he was out there, or the fact that she wasn't even safe in her own room.

Seeing that glimmer in Peyton's eyes, the officer was familiar with that feeling of a victim's fear. "Look, Ms. Sawyer, it's late. All you're going to do is worry yourself. All you can do for tonight is done." He reached out the papers, shoving them into a stapler and slamming the tiny piece of metal into the papers. "Go get some sleep."

Peyton's eyes started to water again, but she wouldn't let those tears fall. "You honestly think I can sleep when some guy out there wants me as his prize?!" she exclaimed. Her hands shook, both from the exhaustion and anxiety. "I can't even go to the one place I've always felt safe because it's a crime scene!"

The policeman stayed calm, used to frustrated confrontation. He tried to keep his voice in a soothing tone as he said, "If you don't have a place to stay, we can put you in a hotel for the night. And we can also have another officer escort you to that destination," he offered, trying to prove he was putting an effort to helping her.

Shaking her head, Peyton looked into her lap. The tears start to fall, but she tried her hardest not to put any emotion behind them. "You might as well put a target on my back," she stated bitterly. Without looking the officer in the eye, she stood up and started away, brushing past Lucas.

Lucas gave the officer a look of disappointment. He was both upset that the policeman couldn't do anything for them, and that Peyton didn't handle herself better. He understood that she must've been scared to death, but it wasn't the officer's fault.

Taking a few large, quick steps, Lucas caught up to her. "Peyton!" Luke called out, hoping she would stop. He reached out and grabbed her hand, trying to stop her from getting away.

Peyton spun around to face Lucas, but quickly ripped her arm away from him. She pulled her arm close to herself, and curled her upper body into a ball. She had never been so protective of herself, but being surprisingly touched struck terror in her. Peyton's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes went wide as she timidly looked up to see it was only Lucas.

Holding his hands up in a surrendered position, Lucas stated, "It's just me…" He inched closer to her, slowly and hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. Lucas hugged her softly and stroked her back. He had never seen her react that way before. He had seen her hide her emotions, and be afraid to open up to someone, but never in such a physical way before.

At this point, it even scared him. Lucas couldn't believe how much damage the supposed Derek could've done. Even after the shooting, Peyton had not been so afraid. And seeing that change in her, Lucas feared that she wouldn't be the same as before, that possibly the damage is beyond repair. Kissing the top of Peyton's head, Lucas kept her in his arms. He couldn't bear to let her go. "It's me," he repeated to her softly, hoping that soon enough she would be her again, and identities would be revealed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Here," Lucas cooed softly as he reached out and opened the car door for Peyton. He waited for her to climb into the passenger's seat before closing the door. He quickly raced around to the driver's seat, leaving her alone in the car as short as possible. Starting his car, he checked his blind spot and pulled out into the street.

The awkward silence lingered for a few minutes. It's not that the two were unfamiliar with silence, but more like the awkward part. Sometimes, things just didn't need to be said, and others, they were talking about anything and everything. The space between them was growing, and neither one of them liked it.

Knowing that she was most responsible for the tension, Peyton tried to relax herself. So be it if everything else in her life was going to be screwed up, just not her relationship with Lucas. "Been in any good fights lately?" she joked timidly.

Both of them smiled briefly and glanced at each other. Sometimes, it even surprised the two of them that they could poke fun at some of the most serious situations. Still, they knew that it was just their way of keeping closed and protecting themselves from even more damage.

Lucas pulled up to a red light and pressed down on the brake. He took his eyes off of the road and turned his attention to Peyton as he stated, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Do what?" Peyton asked with a light smirk.

"Pretend like you're okay," Lucas answered. He took one of his hands off of the steering wheel and leaned a little closer to Peyton. He moved his arm around her shoulder and rubbed it gently. He finished, "Because I know you better than that and you don't have to hide anything from me."

Peyton swallowed hard and clenched her jaw. She continued to smile, still hiding her true feelings. She was scared to death and worried that the fake Derek would come back. And even stronger than that, she felt her love for Lucas. She had wanted to tell him time and time again, but there were some things she had to hide from him. "I know," she replied softly.

As the light turned green, Lucas put his foot on the gas and sped off. He took occasional glances at Peyton, but could tell she was thinking about things. In spite of everything, he left his arm wrapped securely around her. He didn't put to much thought to why he wanted so badly to keep her close, but just left it at that.

Inching a tad closer to Lucas, Peyton exhaled deeply and let he head rest on his shoulder. She was so tired, and there was comfort for her in his arms. She didn't know if that his arm around her shoulders was an invitation to be close to him, but she was going to take it anyways.

Closing her eyes, she stated, "Do you ever think we're just like, the most intense version of 'The Truman Show'?" She momentarily lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at Luke. When she saw he was somewhat confused, she placed her weary head back down. Peyton continued, "You know, like people are watching us. And when things get boring, or maybe even good, they like to put us through some crazy crap. Like, our lives are just this giant freak show."

Lucas chuckled slightly, thinking about her idea. "So they cast us beautiful people as some primetime network television show?" Luke questioned, trying to straighten out Peyton's ramblings.

Peyton smirked and let out a light laugh as well. "Well, it sounds stupid when you put it that way," she explained. "It's just…" She paused for a moment, thinking about how that idea popped into her head anyways. "The things we go through, almost all of them could be labeled, 'things you'd never expect to happen to you'. But they all happen to us. It's like all of us have been struck by lightning ten times in a row."

Taking his hand from her shoulder to her head, Lucas stroked her locks between his fingers. "But we make it through," he stated reassuringly. He pulled up to another red light and brought his head closer to hers. "One bad thing after the next, we deal with it."

Rolling her eyes upwards to meet his, Peyton quietly admitted, "I just don't know if I can do it anymore."

"That's why I said 'we'," Lucas stated with a smile. "You don't have to do it alone, Peyton." Seeing the light turn green from the corner of his eye, Lucas didn't bother to react. He needed to know that she understood him, and that not much else mattered. And after seeing her shyly nod, he kissed Peyton's head before turning his attention back to the street.

Peyton bit her bottom lip and snuggled up against Lucas. She loved how soft and warm his arms could be. She had never been so familiar with feeling that way with someone else. Always a loner, being with Lucas meant more and more to her each minute. "Keep acting this sweet, and I'm gonna start to think you're gay," Peyton stated teasingly.

There was that Peyton Sawyer subject change that Lucas had been waiting for. They did manage to have those deep and intellectual talks, but when things would get too serious, her guard would always go up. Even though he knew that about her, it made getting down to her core and really getting to know her that much better. And it was hard to say he didn't love her wit. "I'm definitely not gay," he remarked. "And I'm only this sweet on you."

She continued to nestle in his arms. There wasn't much else that needed to be said or done at the moment. And although it was silent in the car once more, the uneasiness was gone from both of them and between them. They were back to being Lucas and Peyton once more, and it was nice to know that some things could go back to normal.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucas opened the door to his room and flicked on the lights. He peered around his room and held his arm around Peyton's waist, making sure that if he had a grasp on her if anything happened. As he looked around his room, he made sure that no one else had been in there, that they'd be safe. Finally, he opened the door wide and let both of them step inside. Lucas closed the door behind them and locked it, not knowing if they'd be in danger at his home.

Throwing his keys onto his desk, Lucas took his jacket off. He placed it on the back of his chair and turned around to plop down on his bed. "You can stay as long as you want," he commented to Peyton.

With her hands in her back pockets, Peyton looked at Lucas strangely. "You don't want to say that," she stated with a shake of her head.

"Well you can," Lucas said with a curious look on his face. He raised an eyebrow to her, wondering why she'd say that.

Peyton continued to shake her head at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and added, "Bad choice of words, Luke."

Seeing that he was making her nervous, he stared up at her inquisitively. "Why?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

Starting to shake her head, Peyton turned away from Lucas. She obviously didn't want to talk about her reasons. Peyton hated putting herself into the open, and this was exactly that if she explained to him.

"Peyton," he called out, standing up. He made his way over to her, and turned her around to face him. "What is it?" he questioned once more.

Letting out a loud groan, Peyton threw her arms into the air in frustration. "I hate being like this! I feel so… Helpless! And needy!" she exclaimed. She sniffled, holding back tears that were screaming to escape. "And if your invite is for how long I want to stay, then you're gonna have me for way longer than I need to stay." Peyton looked up into his eyes hesitantly, feeling like an idiot for what she had to say.

With a smirk on his face, Lucas pulled Peyton into a hug. "Then I don't think I chose the wrong words," he remarked. He hugged her soothingly, hoping that she's consider his offer and calm down. All he wanted was to make her feel better, but he knew that she was on edge. He pulled back after a moment and wiped away a stray tear that had fallen from her eyes. Her cheek was ice cold, and he moved his hand down to feel her bare arms were freezing as well. "We should get you into something warm," he stated.

"I don't have anything," Peyton reminded Lucas. Her room was turned into a crime scene, and even if it wasn't, neither of them wanted to go back there in the pitch black night.

Lucas smiled downwards to her and brushed past. He went into his drawers and grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a sweatshirt. He handed them to her and said, "Wear this for now. We can get some of your stuff tomorrow."

Peyton nodded as she took the clothes into her hands. She stood there for a moment before looking up at Lucas. "Turn around," she stated, wanting some privacy to change.

Feeling a little stupid for not doing it on his own, Lucas turned away and sat on the edge of his bed. He had been so focused on watching Peyton lately, he hadn't even thought of the fact that he shouldn't be watching her change her clothes. He blushed slightly, just thinking about it, and stared straight ahead. He looked out the window, only to see darkness outside. But as he shifted his weight slightly, he saw Peyton's reflection. He stared at her bare, silky back, but then remembered that he was facing the opposite direction from her for a reason.

Slipping the sweatshirt over her head, Peyton felt a little pained. Her body was stiff, and she ached from being thrown about that night. She slowly removed her cheerleading skirt, letting it fall around her ankles. Her hip was sore, and as she looked down at it, she saw a giant bruise had developed. Peyton sniffled back the pain and took the pajama pants into her hands, delicately putting them off. She tugged at the drawstrings, hoping she could get them to stay up.

Waiting for her to finish, Lucas stared down into his lap. He thought about their sleeping arrangements and announced, "I'll take the couch and you can sleep here."

"No, I'm already imposing," Peyton said. She finished dressing and let her arms fold across her chest once more. Lucas' sweats were obviously too big for her, but she looked and felt better than she did in her ripped cheerleading uniform. Really, the most comfort came from the familiar smell of Lucas' sweet scent on his clothing. She made her way around to the front of Luke and added, "It's your room."

Looking up to find Peyton swimming in his clothes, he smiled to himself. Lucas shook his head. "Take the bed, Peyton," he insisted. He moved aside, and started towards the door to the rest of his house. He started to turn the knob, but he felt Peyton's delicate hand grab his own. He turned around slowly, and saw a bizarre look on her face. "What?" he questioned worriedly.

Peyton looked down at her feet, embarrassed by what she had to say. She hesitated before finally stating, "I'm scared, Luke."

Keeping his hand with hers, he squeezed it kindly. "It's gonna be alright," he stated. He knew that his words didn't mean much, especially with the way he must've been sounding like a broken record that night. There wasn't much else he could say or do that he was aware of.

"Just…" Peyton started. She looked up a touch, seeing her hand connected with Luke's and feeling his soft grasp. Slowly but surely, she raised her head to make eye contact with Lucas as well. "I don't want to be alone," she muttered.

Nodding, Lucas easily stated, "Alright." He wanted to do whatever he could to make her comfortable, and if she didn't want to be alone, he wasn't going to leave her side. "I can take the floor," he offered.

Peyton shook her head as she sat down on Luke's bed. "Stay with me," Peyton stated, looking up at him with tired eyes. "Just pretend like things are alright. Like all this bad stuff never happened."

Lucas stared at her for a moment, confused at what she really wanted from him. It was only a mere second before he gave in to her. He walked around the bed and climbed in from the other side. He laid on his back, waiting for Peyton to join him. Both lying there, they stared up at the ceiling. It felt awkward, to say the least. Both Lucas and Peyton were trying to keep to themselves in Lucas' small bed.

"Like old times?" Lucas questioned, referring to what Peyton said she wanted.

Hardly moving, Peyton nodded her head silently.

"Then come here," Lucas said, reaching out for her.

He inched closer to the middle of the bed and stretched one arm out. Peyton rolled over, into his arms and laid her head on top of his chest. She closed her eyes tightly and felt him close his arms around her. They hadn't slept like that since Lucas had gotten home from his car accident, but it was one of the most peaceful times they have ever experienced. Sometimes about being in each other's arms put both of them at ease, and that's what they needed most at this time.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas' bedroom door creeked open slightly, just enough for a person to slip through. The figure tiptoed past Lucas and Peyton, fast asleep, stopping at the foot of the bed to watch them. Peyton was cuddle closely to Lucas, warm and peaceful in his arms. Lucas also seemed at peace, but still protective of Peyton as he held her close and safe in his arms.

"Good morning, Lucas," Karen stated quietly, but loud enough to wake her son. She continued standing at his feet, from the end of his bed. "And Peyton," she threw in with a raised eyebrow.

Waking up, Lucas raised his head slightly. He refrained from moving the rest of his body when he saw Peyton nestled close, resting and relaxed after such an exhausting night. Lucas couldn't help but smile to himself, until he looked further down his bed and saw his mom standing across from him. He squinted his eyes at her, making sure he was fully awake and she was really there. Quickly, Lucas pouted and gave his mom pleading eyes, hoping she wouldn't do anything to wake Peyton up as well. All he wanted was for Peyton to stay that way, especially after seeing what hell she went through the previous night.

Catching that hint, Karen nodded in agreement. She was curious as to why Peyton was there in the first place, but she wasn't going to disturb her either. Karen simply nodded towards Luke's bedroom door, hoping that he'd follow and join her into the hallway. She wasn't going to stay in his room and wake the girl, but she did need some answers before she could drop the subject. Karen took quiet steps past Lucas, starting out towards the hall.

Knowing that he was supposed to follow, Lucas tried his hardest to limit his movement. He honestly didn't want to leave his bed at all, but he knew his mom. Just from that one look she gave, he knew she meant business. Brushing the curls out of Peyton's face, he got one more glance at her. He had never seen her look so innocent and pure before, and that moment turned into a few minutes. Lucas didn't know what came over him, but he couldn't help just wanting to watch her.

It wasn't long before Karen peeked her head back into the room, glaring at Lucas with wide eyes. She thought she had hinted for her son to join her, but he wasn't out of his room yet. She continued to stare at him until she caught his attention. Watching him watch Peyton, she saw that longing look in his eye and had a pretty good idea of why she was there. She had a feeling that Peyton wasn't just a friend anymore, and she nodded once more for Lucas to meet her in the hall.

Before he'd get in too much trouble, Lucas rolled over slightly, gently removing Peyton's head from his chest, and setting her onto a pillow. He started to crawl out of bed, then removing her hands and resting them against her own body. Getting out of that bond, he felt a sudden rush of cold, standing over his bed. Wondering if Peyton felt the same, he quickly reached for the blanket and tucked her in tight, hoping that she could sleep for a little while longer. Lucas then stepped out of his room, closing the door a little more before facing his mom.

"What is going on?" Karen quickly questioned. She titled her head slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. Karen wasn't exactly mad at Lucas anything more than making her feel out of the loop. "Are you and Peyton together now?"

Lucas shook his head and gave him mother apologetic eyes. "No," he stated in a whisper. He leaned back slightly, looking back into his bedroom. He hoped that Karen's loud voice hadn't disturbed Peyton, and was glad to see it was true. He glanced back at his mom and finished, "Just some stuff happened last night, and she can't go home yet."

Karen looked at Lucas curiously. She didn't exactly know what Lucas' words meant, but she felt like she had a right to know. "Did something happen with Larry?" she questioned, wondering if that could be the possible home situation.

"No," Lucas replied, shaking his head. "Peyton was attacked at her house."

Karen's eyes went wide again, and her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that she was hearing such news. So many scary events were happening in Tree Hills these days, it was torture being a worried mother. "She was attacked?" she repeated, still a little shocked that something like that would happen.

Nodding, Lucas glanced into his room one more time. Seeing her in his bed, he thought about the night before, and how he could see the fright in her eyes. "Remember how I told you about Derek? Peyton's brother?" Lucas turned back to his mom and saw her nod. "He wasn't really her brother. I guess, technically, he's Peyton's stalker."

Bringing her hand over her mouth, Karen stated in a whisper, "Oh my God."

All Lucas could do was nod his head. He had the same reaction and worry as his mom, but he had to stand tall for Peyton. He needed to be ready to show her that brave face. "She's just too scared to be alone, and I'm not going to let her," he explained to his mom, hoping that she'd understand.

"No, Lucas," Karen stated, her eyes focused on her son. She squinted a little at him, trying to see if he was serious about protecting Peyton. When she noticed his eyes were fighting her back, she calmed herself slightly. She asked, "Are the two of you okay?"

Lucas nodded and stated, "I'm fine. And she's--" Lucas took a deep breath, staring into his room. "For the most part... But she's still--"

Placing her hand on her son's arm, Karen called for Lucas' attention again. "Let the police handle it," she stated simply.

Eyeing her curiously, Lucas could tell she was serious. It was like the only reason she asked if they were okay was to see if any damage was done to him. Lucas felt like Karen didn't care enough about Peyton, like how he felt. "Mom!" he exclaimed, calling for her attention to change her mind.

"Lucas, no," she stated boldly. Karen shook her head repeatedly, not making eye contact with her son. "I've already lost Keith, and I'm not going to lose you too." She stopped shaking her head and pressed her lips together. She looked Lucas dead in the eye, letting him know that she had her final word. Karen knew that she might sound heartless to be leaving Peyton to the Tree Hill police, but she couldn't sacrafice her son. Karen just couldn't imagine losing any more than she already has.

Lucas stared back into his mother's eyes. He knew that she was hurting, and he knew exactly where he was coming from. More than anything, he didn't want to have her hurt anymore than she has already lived through. Life had been tough on them, and he hated it. But still, it was a matter of Peyton. With those same sad, pleading eyes, Lucas quietly muttered, "And I'm not going to lose Peyton."

Mother and son gazed upon each other for a moment. Karen could see that the passion within her son was firey. She could see that he really did care for this girl, and there was nothing she could do about it. If she learned anything from losing Keith, it was that you can't stop love. And she also knew that Keith had done well with Lucas, and both of those Scott hearts were pure. And in the same instant, Lucas knew he was being selfish. For so long, Karen hadn't asked anything from him, but he couldn't let this one go. He felt like he should just obey her and leave it at that, but he didn't want to leave Peyton cold. There was a part of him that would never let go of her. It was that same part of him that always had him in the danger zone, always trying to save her.

Her eyes slowly rolling open, Peyton felt the cold sheet below her. Becoming more alert, she realized she was alone in the bed and she quickly sat up. "Luke..?" she called out, hoping that he'd answer. But the more Peyton glanced around the room, the more she established that she had been left alone. "Luke?" she called out once more, her voice shaking and the tears forming. "Lucas!" she shouted, hopping out of the bed and towards the house.

Quickly breaking away from his mother, Lucas turned back to his room. He only took one step inside before he ran into Peyton at the doorway. "Whoa," he exhaled, his heart beating fast. It was only a matter of seconds, but he could think of a million horrible things that could've happened to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and ran them up and down her arms, warming her up slightly. Lucas could see that she was shaking, and that the tears were starting to fall. He pulled her into his arms and cooed, "Hey, I'm here. You're okay..." He kissed the top of her head and held on tight. "It's okay," he reassured.

Peyton sniffled, trying to keep back the tears that were falling hard. "I just..." she started, trembling still from the scare of the empty room. "I thought something happened," she confessed, crying into his chest.

Stroking her back, Lucas tried his best to soothe her. "Nothing's gonna happen to you," he remarked in a calm voice. He closed his eyes tight, holding back his own fear, hoping that he could make Peyton feel safe. One of his best friends was a giant mess, and part of him felt like there was nothing he could do to help her. Clenching his jaw, Lucas looked up and saw his mom, standing against the door with her arms still folded across her chest. He pressed his lips together, and while staring at his mom, he stated quietly to Peyton, "The police are going to handle it."

Karen watched the way Lucas took such delicate care of Peyton. She stood aside as her son rocked his friend back and forth in his room, holding her body close to his. She could see the way Lucas closed his eyes in a heartaching manner and how he'd press his lips firmly against her forehead in a protective way. And the way her son wrapped his arms so tightly around her, stroking her back and occasionally playing with the ends of her blonde locks, she knew he genuinely cared for her. Taking another moment to examine Peyton, she didn't need to read her body or her expressions. The simple fact that the girl could calm and feel safe in Luke's arms was enough for Karen.

Taking a few more steps into the room, Karen set on hand on Lucas' arm, and another on Peyton's back. "And you'll be safe with us," she stated in a cool tone.

Looking up, Peyton gave Karen a faint smile with her tear stained cheeks. "Thank you," she mumbled, her voice still shaking.

Also glacing towards Karen, Lucas grinned shyly. Part of him was relieved to hear her say that, especially after realizing what bad things can happen in seconds of leaving Peyton by herself. He could only imagine the torture he'd put himself through if he had to be away from her for longer. He looked at him mom to make sure she was serious before also stating, "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

The imposter shuffled through the bushes, peeking into windows. He had known which house belonged to Lucas for as long as he had been watching Peyton. He remembered when the two had talked on the steps to Lucas' door, debating the outcome of their relationship. And watching Peyton walk away with tears in her eyes, the man promised himself that he would show her real love. It was a day that he'd promise to treat his girl better, never to let Peyton be so broken again.

He knew each hall and each room, everywhere Peyton had been and everything she touched. The fraud knew how Peyton would walk on the hardwood, compared to the way she dragged her feet against carpet. He knew the way she would run her hand along the bottom of a cabinet door before opening it. And he knew the way she would act around Karen versus how she would handle situations with Lucas.

Taking deep breaths, he carefully watched the way Lucas was holding onto her. She was different with Luke compared to anyone else. This mannerism made him wonder what it was about Lucas Scott. How could an outcast basketball player possibly make Peyton act this way? Why was he the one getting Peyton's heart when he knew he loved her more than life itself? Lucas didn't deserve her. At least not the Lucas he knew.

His body was covered in cuts and dried blood, curled into a ball underneath the window. He was lucky enough to get away before the police arrived the night before, but his body ached with every movement. Still, he wouldn't rest. He couldn't leave her side, knowing that she might get away from him. He simply kept all eyes on his goddess.

His hands slowly but surely tensed into fists, fuming from all his thoughts. He wanted to be the one standing in that room, holding her close. He was forced to imagine what it would be like to be with her, not getting to know firsthand. He was so close last night, and now she felt more distant than ever. It broke his heart when she started to pull away, when he thought he might lose her. All he really knew now was the he wasn't going to let it happen. He wasn't going to lose her for anything in this life.

As his chest heaved in and out, he clenched his jaw tight as he saw Lucas kiss the top of Peyton's head once more. He hated that he couldn't show that kind of affection to her. He wanted to kiss her all over her body and have her completely to himself. It wasn't fair that Lucas could be that person for her. Lucas wasn't going to be that person for her if he had anything to do with it.

He had seen the way Lucas had treated her previously. A few times, he had been known to hurt her, and he just couldn't let Luke do anymore harm. He knew their story and how they danced circles around each other, but that didn't matter to him. Stalking Peyton made him love her more than Lucas ever could. He knew everything that she did and everything she was. He knew Peyton better than anyone could ever understand, and he was going to love her. It was only a matter of time before he'd make her love him back.


	6. Chapter 6

Karen let the room fill with silence, standing aside and watching her son with his friend. She didn't know exactly how long she'd consider Peyton just a friend to Lucas, but that was the site at hand. Clearing her throat, Karen called for the attention and asked, "How about I make the three of us some breakfast?" She smiled at the two as they pulled away from each other and looked over at her. Karen inquired further, "How do you like your eggs, Peyton?"

Peyton sniffled away her tears and wiped her damp cheeks. She turned away from Lucas and focused on Karen. "Thanks, but I'm not really hungry," she stated glumly. Peyton did her best to give Karen a faint smile, trying to show sincere appreciation.

Nodding, Karen understood that Peyton probably didn't have much of an appetite. She didn't even know the dirty little details of what happened the previous night, but it could still turn her stomach. "You should eat something though," Karen remarked, her motherly side obviously taking over. "How about some pancakes?"

Her smile growing slightly, Peyton shook her head at Karen. It was nice to know that good mothers still existed, even if not in every home. "I really am fine," Peyton assured, still partially cuddled against Lucas.

"Are you sure?" Karen asked, not sure if she was going to let the girl walk around with an empty stomach.

With a nod, Peyton replied, "Yeah."

Karen pressed her lips together, deciding not to push it any further. She took a hand up to Peyton's arm and stroked it warmly a few times. Turning away from Peyton, she looked up to face her son. "What about you, Luke?"

Lucas flashed glances at the two women in front of him. He loved both of them so much that they would never know. Luke took a deep breath before focusing solely on his mother and responding, "I'll just grab an apple." He knew that she would always make him breakfast, and they used that time to sit down at talk to each other, but there were more important things to do this morning. "We'll be fine, Mom," he said reassuringly. When he could see that she wasn't exactly at ease, he added, "I promise."

"Alright," Karen replied skeptically. She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking about what she would do with her spare time.

And even though neither Lucas nor she said it, they both knew that it was one of those moments that proved Lucas was growing up. Lucas was needing his mother less and less, and although they loved each other and shared an undying bond, there were times that he'd pick someone else. There were times that his love surpassed her.

Running his hands through his hair, Lucas yawned slightly. He was still tired, even though he did find a chance to catch some sleep. "We actually have to go back to the station and answer some more questions," he informed him mother as he reached for his jacket.

Karen gave another worried glance towards Peyton. Placing her hand back on Peyton's shoulder, she questioned, "Are you sure you're up for that?"

Peyton nodded with a clenched jaw. Truthfully, revealing her life to officers was something she'd never really be ready for, but it was something that had to be done. "The more information they have, the quicker they'll find—" Peyton bit her tongue when a thought suddenly hit her. "God! I don't even know his name!" she exclaimed, the fright returning to her eyes.

Shaking his head, Lucas took Peyton back into his arms. He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. "They're going to find him," he remarked, hoping it would give her some sort of peace.

"I want the two of you to stay safe," Karen stated, seeing that they were in a touchy place. The simplest thoughts scared Peyton, and Lucas' worry for his friend was beyond helping. They were only teenagers, and they had been through so much. "Come right back after you're done with the police," Karen ordered, wanting them safely at home.

Scratching the back of his head nervously, Lucas hesitated to tell his mom what else he had planned for that morning. "Uh, we need to stop by Peyton's," he finally stated. Realizing he should probably explain himself, he elaborated, "She doesn't have any of her stuff."

Karen took a deep breath, not wanting to let either of them step out of the house. It was too hard to let her own son out, thinking about those every day dangers, but now with yet another serious dilemma? She had enough worry to last her a lifetime. Trying to hide her concern, Karen joked, "I thought those sweats looked awfully familiar to the Lucas Scott collection."

Lucas knew that look on his mom's face. And the nervous humor was famous in Tree Hill. He started, "The house is taped off, anyways." Seeing his mom get a little too excited for that news, Lucas held his hand out to stop her from thinking the wrong thing; they still had to go to Peyton's place. "I'm sure they'll send an officer with us."

A tiny bit better, Karen nodded slowly. "Okay. Just be careful."

Pulling away from Peyton, Lucas took his mom into his arms for a quick hug. For a while, he hadn't hugged her on a regular basis, but knowing that things happen so crazily, he started back up again. As he backed away, he looked into Karen's eyes and replied, "Like always."

"Funny," Karen commented, thinking his words over in her head. "That doesn't make me feel any better," she stated with a disapproving headshake. It was something about the way her son would always risk his life for Peyton that made her uneasy. But if Lucas' actions are in the name of love, it's just another thing that reminded her that Keith raised Lucas.

Smiling at his mom for her worry, Lucas stated, "We'll see you later."

Peyton stood aside awkwardly for a moment, simply staring at Karen. A few minutes later, she walked closer to her and hugged Karen as well. "Thanks again," she whispered.

Karen squeezed Peyton back, a little surprised by that action. "You're welcome, Peyton. You're in good hands." Karen smiled sweetly and nodded her head over to Lucas. She knew it was something that Lucas and Peyton would always leave unsaid, but Karen wasn't afraid to say it aloud.

The three of them shared smiles with each other before Lucas reached for the door and turned the knob. He waited for Peyton to join him, placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her outwards. He noticed her hesitation to take the first step onto his porch. Peyton herself didn't know why it seemed like her feet were glued to the floor. She wanted to take some of Lucas' strength to help her left her feet, but she couldn't. Lucas didn't care either. He'd wait for her as long as she wanted. If she wasn't ready to go out on her own, he wouldn't make her. But he was going to stay by her side and make sure she's alright every step of the way.

He asked in a softy voice, "You ready?"

"No," Peyton replied in a shaky voice. She looked all around her and the neighborhood was filled with the bright morning sun. It was beautiful, but all she could see was everything hushed with danger. And even though she couldn't see him, Peyton felt Derek close. And that was the most incentive for her to run out into the street, holding onto Lucas.


	7. Chapter 7

Seeing Peyton pop out of the detective's officer, Lucas rose to his feet. He could see that Peyton looked scared, but there was little time after recent events that he hadn't seen that expression on her face. "You done?" he asked as he approached her.

Taking one look at Lucas, Peyton's eyes began to water. Her chest was tight and she hurt. It was like she couldn't breath, and all the chaos of the police department was closing in around her. She couldn't take much more of it, and quickly looked down from Lucas' eyes. She ran for the door, wanting to get out of there and be able to live again.

"Peyton!" Lucas called out, chasing after her. It was only a minute before he caught her at the end of the deserted hallway and took her securely in his arms. He questioned, "What's wrong?"

The tears fell, but Peyton quickly wiped them away. She felt like such an idiot crying all the time. "The-the pictures!" she started to explain, still jumpy. She tried her hardest to calm herself and took deep breaths. "He's been following me for so long!" Peyton pushed away from Lucas, not wanting to breakdown in his arms anymore. She felt so helpless and she always did what she could to avoid that feeling. Realizing that there was more to the story, she finally admitted, "He even has pictures of you!"

Lucas shook his head at the statement. It scared him that he was as much involved as Peyton now, but he didn't care. He just wanted her fear to wash away before anything negative would come out of him. "We'll both be fine," he stated in a reassuring tone. He took a slow step closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to restrain her and stop her from fidgeting.

Frantically, Peyton shook her head. She felt like she was in a hurry with Lucas, but she was speaking a different language entirely. All she wanted was for him to understand, but nothing was working in her life. Both her fears and her undeniable feelings for Lucas were boiling on overload. "You need to stay away from him," she blurted, her hands against Luke's chest.

Keeping his hold on her, Lucas worried about her wellbeing. She was acting so strangely, like nothing he had ever seen. "You do too," he remarked. He couldn't understand why she was suddenly so worried about him when Derek was stalking her. But to make the situation more bearable, he added, "We can do it together," and took her in for a hug.

"No!" Peyton exclaimed as she pushed him away. She turned away from Lucas and raised a hand to her forehead. She rubbed her head in frustration, trying to find her words. She turned back to face him and stated calmly, "I can't risk you, Luke." Staring hard into his eyes, Peyton knew exactly what the two of them needed. She took one last, long look into those beautiful blue eyes of his before breaking away from his hold one more. She looked down at the ground, afraid of the words she had to force herself to say. "You have to stay away from me."

Lucas shook his head sternly. He brought a gentle hand to her chin, raising her head to look him in the eye. "I will never," he said boldly, yet quietly.

The tears fell once more, breaking Peyton brave face. She was so exhausted from trying to prove her point and save Tree Hill. Exasperated, she started, "Lucas—"

Slowly moving his hands up, Lucas cupped Peyton's face. He stroked her soft, porcelain skin, warming her chilled body. He made sure that she was looking him dead in the eye, that she could feel the sincerity in his words. "I can't risk you either." He exhaled deeply before finishing, "And if that means never leaving your side, fine by me."

Peyton sniffled back, still trying to hold it in. "You can't…"

"I can and I will," Lucas remarked with a faint smile. His heart sunk with his best friend's broken heart. He hated that she was pained so much and his words did little to help. But this time, he hoped that she could see there was more to his presence than either one would speak of. "I'm not leaving you, Peyton."

Feeling his touch and really hearing his words for the first time, Peyton's tears fell hard. She knew that he meant much more than most people would believe if they heard his words. But in his voice, his eyes, and in his heart, she knew he had a soft spot for her. Feeling more than vulnerable, Peyton joked, "Even when I act like such a girl?"

Chuckling softly, Lucas wrapped his arms tightly around Peyton. He hugged her close and let his lips softly press against her forehead. He took a deep breath and responded, "Even then, Sweet Girl." Truthfully, everything in him wanted to scream that he loved that side of her. He loved every side of her from the beginning until the end.

Letting her head rest against his chest, Peyton started to control her emotions again. She could hide her heartache for now, but she knew it was bound to come out again sooner or later. "Cause I'm a pretty huge mess," she elaborated.

"Nah," Lucas commented softly. He stroked her back continuously, just embracing her touch. He added quietly, almost beyond her hearing, "You're perfect."

Peyton returned the squeeze hold on Lucas, loving the way that he so openly held her. "I just—I keep seeing him!" She pulled away slightly, just enough to look at Lucas. "It feels like he's still here," she added, showing him the fear in her expression.

Lucas wiped the tearstains off of her face using his thumb. "He's not." Lucas hugged her tight once more, wanting to keep her safe and secure in his arms forever. He just didn't want to let her go. "It's just you and me, okay?" Lucas stated, for both her sake and his own.

With a sigh, Peyton leaned her head up against his chest once more. "I wish," she cooed.

One of the officers stepped out into the hallway. They hadn't been introduced to him formally, or worked with him this far, but they knew he was on the case. He just continued on towards them, and breaking the silence, he spoke. "Ms. Sawyer, we still need—"

Lucas looked up at the officer with angry eyes. The sound of the officer's voice had caused Peyton to jump in his arms, and Lucas couldn't help but feel protective of her. "Can't you see she can't handle this right now?" Lucas quickly interjected, cutting the officer off.

The officer cleared his throat. He glanced down at the ground before he continued on with what he was going to say. "We just need a signature," he told them.

Nodding, Peyton brushed her hands over her face to make sure she cleaned herself up a tad. She removed herself from the warmth of Luke's hold and started back towards the madness of the police department.

Looking at the police officer that had stayed behind in the hallway, Lucas gave him apologetic eyes. He knew that the man didn't mean any harm, and Lucas definitely snapped at him in a bad way. "Sorry," he started uneasily, not exactly sure what to say. "It's just—"

"It's alright, son," the officer stated. He knew that it was touchy for everyone. He had been on many cases in his time, and people were destined to get short with an officer or two. "These sort of things are personal and it's hard." The officer nodded with his lips pressed together, staring into the police station doors, and watching all the people move around frantically. "Especially if you love the person that's hurting most," he stated effortlessly, not even bothering to turn his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas looked at the man strangely. He didn't know what he meant by those words, but Luke did know that he cared a great deal about Peyton. There was no denying that. "Yeah…"

Waiting for another minute, the officer added, "She's lucky to have a boyfriend like you."

"We're not…" Lucas started, but couldn't finish. He always found himself defending his relationship with Peyton, telling people that they were just friends. But for the first time in a long while, Lucas wondered why they worked out that way. What was the point of telling people that you're just someone's friend when you love them wholeheartedly? It was almost harder for Lucas to explain to himself why there still wasn't anything more between them. "Thanks," he stated to the policeman.

Seeing Peyton come back out of the office, and towards the exit of the station, the officer turned back to Lucas and smiled at him. "We have all the information we need for now," he remarked, just in time for Peyton to hear that statement as well. The officer started back into the station, but took a second to add, "Take care of each other."

"We always do," Lucas responded effortlessly, tossing a glance at Peyton.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucas pulled up to Peyton's house. There was tons of caution tape around the premises, and a police car already stationed outside of the house. There was one officer outside, standing guard, and another searching for more clues. It was safe enough for the two of them to go in, or so they said at the police department. But still, the two of them sat in the car for a moment, not opening the door or even reaching for it. All they did was stare at the big, broken house; not as it once was.

Taking his eyes off of the house, Lucas watched Peyton. He could see her bottom lip tremble uneasily. He softly reached over and put his hand on Peyton's shoulder. He felt her jump slightly, but calm herself within seconds, yet she wouldn't look away from the house. He let his hand travel down her arm as he grabbed for her cold hand and held it in his own. "You want me to go first?" he questioned, rubbing his thumb over her hand in hopes of warming it. "You don't even have to go in if you don't—"

Peyton squeezed Lucas' hand and shook her head. She finally let her eyes fall down into her lap, and then up at Luke. "I have to be able to do this on my own," she stated with certainty in her voice.

Pressing his lips together, Lucas smiled faintly. He was glad to hear that Peyton was ready to stand up for herself, but a part of him felt useless to her now. He took pride in being able to help her, but what would he do when she didn't need help? Lucas nodded for a moment and asked, "You want me to stay here?"

"No," Peyton let out quickly, squeezing his hand once more. She had almost forgotten that she was holding his hand, but he was always there for her. She realized that she needed him, even if she would try her hand at independence. She remarked, "But I have to be able to stand up for myself." Taking her other hand, she wrapped both around Luke's hand. "You can't be saving me all the time, Lucas."

Lucas nodded with somewhat sad eyes, his feelings getting confusing. "I know," he commented glumly. He stared into her eyes and just let her touch linger. "I just don't want you hurting."

"I don't want you hurting either," Peyton responded with a small smirk on her face. He was always so sweet and caring, which only reminded her of their connection. In all this drama, she had almost forgotten her love for her best friend, but it was moments like this that made her remember. Not wanting to ruin the moment, but also not wanting to let it pass so easily, Peyton started, "I'm just not worth—"

"Say you're not worth it, and you have no argument," Lucas said with a wider smile. He knew what she was going to say, and those little wheels turning in her head. It drove him crazy that she couldn't see what he was thinking or why she was so important to him, but it was classic Peyton.

Peyton shook her head to herself. She knew that her friend was always trying to make her feel better about herself, but she never really knew why. Lucas was always sweet on her, but that's just the kind of guy he is. Trying to bring that to his attention, Peyton started, "Luke—"

Lucas knew exactly what was going to happen and shook his head. "Peyton, if you're ever in trouble, I'm going to save you, okay?" He tilted his head slightly as he watched Peyton, trying to see in her eyes if she understood. He gripped her hand a little tighter in his own and stated, "I can't let anything happen to you…" And raising their hands upwards, Lucas kissed the top of Peyton's hand tenderly. "I just can't," he repeated in a whisper.

Her heart melting slightly, Peyton shared a longing look with Lucas. She didn't know why or how he could say these things to each other as friends. It was a great feeling, and she wished that he would hold her hand and say sweet things forever, but she wasn't sure. She didn't know what all was there and what was behind his words.

The two lingered for a moment before Lucas broke away. He hopped out of his car and went around to the passenger's side. He opened the door for Peyton and waited for her to get out as well. He placed his hand on the small of her back once more, still in a protective way, and started towards the house. They started to explain to the office why they were there, but he recognized them from the previous night.

Reaching Peyton's room, the two of them looked around. Some of the glass was shattered near the window that was broken, and the paint on her walls was chipped from the photos taken down. And even though there wasn't too much damage left in the room, everything seemed different. The room just seemed destroyed.

Peyton went towards her bed and reached underneath cautiously. A fear in her made her think Derek was just waiting underneath her bed, ready to pop out at her. And the fight in her wanted to just reach down in there and pull him out by the neck. She wanted to fight the fear, but all she reached for was a Ravens duffle bag.

She exhaled deeply, a little relieved. Glancing over at Lucas, she could see he was watching her. "Why?" she questioned.

Lucas furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?" he inquired. They had just paced through a few minutes of silence, and the first thing Peyton says is a one-word question. He had no idea what was happening, other than her fear getting the best of her.

"Why do you want to save me?" Peyton finally asked, hesitant to look her friend in the eye.

Smiling, Lucas nodded to himself. He was wondering when she was going to ask that, especially since Peyton never let anything go so easily. Luke finally admitted, "Because life as I know it would suck without you." He took a few steps closer to her and took the bag from her hands. And as they made the exchange, he took the chance to hold her hands for a second as he added in, "You're worth so much to me you'll never know."

Peyton pressed her lips together to hold in her smile. She started to turn away, hoping that she wouldn't let him see her smile. Working her way over to her closet, she pulled the doors open and stared inside. "So are you gonna help me paint my room?" she inquired.

Lucas' smile faded. He knew that Peyton had issues with getting close to someone, but he thought that they were good enough friends to be okay with those things. Maybe he took it too far, but in that instance, it was how he was honestly feeling about Peyton. Clearing his throat, Luke asked, "Have something in mind?"

Throwing a pair of folded jeans and a sweatshirt at Lucas, Peyton shook her head. "Just not this," she stated coldly. "It reminds me of him," she elaborated, feeling a little awkward.

Stuffing the clothes into the bag, Lucas kept them folded nicely. He took a few steps towards Peyton and into her closet. He knew that everything felt different as well. Even as he passed her collection of albums, it felt darker to him, especially since that was the way Derek was introduced to them. Trying to shake that thought from his mind and go back to Peyton, Lucas offered, "How about purple?"

Raising and eyebrow, Peyton repeated with a little uneasiness, "Purple?"

Nodding, Lucas answered, "Yeah." He reached his hand out and ran his hand across Peyton's selection of shirts. He reached the one he was looking for and pulled it out to place in front of Peyton. "Like this sweater," he stated with a soft, dark purple sweater in his hands. "I've always loved this sweater on you."

"I guess I should pack it then," Peyton remarked with a grin, pulling the sweater away from Luke's hand and shoving it into the duffle bag. She let out a chuckled and posed somewhat seductively in the closet. "What else do you love on me?" she jokingly asked.

Lucas tilted his head to think about it and let the bag fall to the floor. "You could pack a garbage bag in there for all I care. You know you look beautiful in anything."

Peyton continued her quiet laughter as she returned to her normal stance. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Nice try," she commented. She took a few more shirts and pants into her hands and started back out of the closet. "You still have to help me paint," she stated, leaving Lucas behind.

Bending down to retrieve the bag, Lucas followed Peyton out. "So close!" he exclaimed with a joking undertone. He placed the bag on Peyton's bed, next to where she was sitting and folding her clothes. Luke calmed himself and just gazed upon his friend, adding in a soft voice, "But I meant every word of it."

"You're too good to me, Luke." Peyton shyly looked up at Lucas, not expecting him to have been watching her. It was strange to see that look in his eyes. She hadn't seen him that way in a long while. And even if she wanted him to look at her that way for some time now, she wasn't so sure about it. She glanced back down into her lap and found one of her drawings lying near her bed, half underneath. _And now we can't have it._ The past, present, and future, all on Peyton's mind. "Always have been."


	9. Chapter 9

The imposter puffed on his cigarette, watching the two from a distant corner of the neighborhood. He was smart enough not to get too close to the police officers, or openly display his face. He wasn't sure how much information they had on his so far, but he was packed up and ready to skip town if need be. He wasn't so ready to leave Peyton behind, but in the back of his mind, he knew he could just take her with him.

He licked his dry and crackled lips, longing to be graced with her touch. He could only catch glances of them through one of Peyton's window. He was so far away that it was hard to make them out, but he knew the curves of her face well enough to see her clearly. The way she glided past the window, like an angelic figure, made everything seem a little better.

But then he'd get a glance at Lucas and his breathing became labored. It was always Lucas with Peyton. Lucas Scott this, and Lucas Scott that. What was so good about that jock? Lucas didn't love Peyton the way he did. There had to be some way that he could prove himself to her.

He tried his hardest to calm his breathing, but his nostrils still flared with each gasp. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and cocked his head to each side, a popping sound escaping from each movement of his neck. By the time he was able to open his eyes again, he say Peyton and Lucas moving out of the house and toward Luke's car. And with them was a bag that seemed to be full.

It made him angry that she was packed and ready to leave as well. If she was going to go anywhere, she was going with him. Lucas had to be out of the picture. Lucas was never in the picture in his mind anyways. Maybe he could take Luke out in a whole different way. A way that would please everyone.

His window only cracked open slightly, he flickered the cigarette bud to ground. He started his engine and pulled out into the street slowly.


	10. Chapter 10

Peyton smiled kindly at the police officer, showing her appreciation to him for his work. He might've only stood outside while they were in her house, but he was still standing guard, and it made her feel safe. There was no doubt that she still had her fears about the faux-Derek, but she didn't feel so helpless knowing that the Tree Hill police department was on her side.

She continued back to Lucas' car before she realized she had completely forgot what she had come for. The only reason Peyton went back to her house was to get some things that she would need over at Luke's place, but she didn't have her bag. And feeling a little stupid for that, Peyton looked over at Lucas. Luckily, he was both brain and brawn, carrying her bag with ease as he followed her to his car. "I can carry my own bag," she stated with her hand held out, ready to take the load from him.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and stated, "I know you can." They stopped a few feet away from his car and he started to pass the bag over. In a split second, he took his arm back towards himself and held the duffle. "I can carry your bag too, then," he remarked with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes slightly, Peyton's face lit up. She was never the kind of girl that would pamper herself, or let a guy do things for her, but Luke always had a way of taking care of her without Peyton feeling like a defenseless girl. Even when he'd save her, she never really felt like she was inferior to him, but their balance was just right. All she could manage to say was, "Cute," as she blushed slightly. That Lucas Scott charm was exactly what had her head over heels in love with him.

"I try," Lucas said with a grin. He continued walking over to his car, oozing with suave. He knew that for the moment, he had Peyton smitten. And even though they were just friends, he liked the way that he could make her nervous, and he loved that rosy color her cheeks would turn when he'd get to her.

Still letting his smooth qualities run loose, Lucas took a large step in front of Peyton and reached the car first. He opened the door kindly for her, and stepped aside so she could climb in. He watched her hop into the car with a weird feeling tingling down his spine. For some strange reason, getting into a car like this, taking care of Peyton and excited for her to spend another night in his arms, Lucas felt like they were a couple or something. A couple of what, he wasn't sure. But he definitely felt like they were a couple.

Lucas made his way around the car. He tossed her duffle bag gently into the back before climbing into his own seat. They were ready to hit the road again, now to Karen's Café. They knew that they were supposed to go back to the house, but that tired look in both of their eyes was praying for a good cup of coffee before heading back. Turning the engine over, Lucas checked his blind spot before pulling out into the street, and moving along.

The silence between the two wasn't awkward, just somewhat peaceful. They were able to listen to a radio without arguing over which station. Each other's car and driving habits didn't bother one another. They could simply listen to the music and enjoy the scenery. They didn't have to say a word, and they would still know the other is there with them.

Passing the Rivercourt, a thought crossed Peyton's mind. They were stopped at a stop sign, and her eyes were fixed on the basketball court. "Do you ever think about what would've happened if you lost that night?" she finally asked. Peyton glanced back over her shoulder at Lucas, who looked a little confused. "The night you played Nathan," she elaborated.

Pressing his lips together, Lucas understood what she was talking about. He even got a glimpse of the court behind Peyton's angelic smile. "Sometimes," he responded hesitantly. He took a deep breath that lead into a chuckle. "A lot of the time," he admitted.

Nodding, Peyton knew why he wasn't so quick to confess the truth. She didn't like to consider the "what if" thoughts as regrets, but that's what they were. If you want to change your past, it's because you regret something. And she didn't want to tell him her side of the story, but she wanted to know his. Peyton inquired, "What's the alternate reality like for you?"

"I don't know," Lucas stated with a tilted head in thought. It was his turn to pass the four-way intersection as he drove away from the basketball court, but it still lingered in his mind. Not really sure where he was going with his words, Lucas started, "Nathan…"

Peyton raised her eyebrow and quickly quipped, "Would still be a jerk?"

Letting out another chuckle, he paused to shrug. "I used to think he couldn't change, but Haley really did a number on him." He nodded to his own statement, thinking about something so pure and true. Their relationship was something that he wished to find and to feel one day. Maybe he already has that feeling, but just needs something to open his eyes. "And love like that is fate," he finished with an optimistic grin on his face.

Her heart skipping a beat, Peyton was touched by his sweet sentiment. Even though she felt like that kind of love wasn't meant for everyone, Nathan and Haley, and now even Lucas, gave her that hope. She knew who her heart belonged to, but the return of that love was just as important. "Anything else?" she questioned, hoping that he'd have more words she'd take to heart.

Lucas kept his eyes on the road. He knew that there was his connection with Peyton, shining brighter than expected. It was hard for him to declare this truth to anyone, but he felt like she'd understand better than anyone. "Maybe Keith would still be around…"

Peyton nodded her head slowly. She hadn't expected him to go to that place, and she knew how much he missed Keith. "You'd take it all back for him, wouldn't you?" Peyton asked, shyly raising her head to face Luke.

"Yes," Lucas exhaled with ease. He took another moment and felt Peyton's eyes on him. He could always feel her presence, even when it wasn't true. "And no," he said with a little shock in his own voice. "I don't know if losing to Nathan would've kept Keith safe." Lucas took another deep breath, somewhat confused about the thoughts running through his mind. He thought all the time about losing Keith, and all he'd do to get his father-figure back, but something was holding him back this time. "And if I hadn't won that game, at some point, I might've lost you too," he finally managed to say, this thoughts becoming clearer.

Eyeing him strangely, Peyton was confused. She knew Lucas better than that, and he never really threw in the towel when it came to Keith. If anything, he was fighting every day to keep his memory alive. "You didn't know me then," she stated, still thinking about why he didn't stop at "yes".

Pulling up to the café, Lucas parked directly across the street. He pulled his keys out of the ignition and held them in his hand. They jingled slightly, and one of his oldest key chains twinkled in his eye. Keith gave it to him when he was a boy, but he wasn't a boy anymore. Turning his attention back to Peyton, he looked her dead in the eye. "But now that I do, I can't imagine missing out on you," he spoke softly.

She sighed slightly, entranced by his words. He was so sweet to her, but there was a part of her that just wouldn't let her take the compliment. Peyton shook her head at Lucas and forced, "Come on, Luke." She didn't understand why he was giving her that look "For Keith?"

"I miss him, every day that he's not here." Lucas looked down into his lap and cleared his throat. He continued, "And it sucks knowing that he's never going to come back. But he was the best dad I could've asked for, and having him, even if that time was short, means so much more than having a crappy dad for a lifetime."

Peyton went on watching him, wondering where he was going with his thoughts. "So why not take it back?" she questioned, not fully understanding. She was always able to follow along with Lucas, get him just by a look. But at this moment, she was honestly lost.

Luke fidgeted with his keys between his fingers. "Because he taught me how to live. To make mistakes, and learn from them. To grow up and be a good man." He hesitated with each of his words, but he was finally able to stabilize himself. He took another deep breath, ready to reveal himself to her. "To love," he finished.

A strange sensation rushed through Peyton. She had an idea of what he was talking about, but she didn't know if her own feelings for Luke were tricking her, or if he was really saying the words. Peyton couldn't stand to get her hopes up again because it was just too hard. She traveled up and down roads of great length with Lucas, and it was hard to imagine risking all of it on a miscommunication. "I don't get—"

"If I was still on the Rivercourt, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now, Peyton," Luke interjected. He tossed his keys into the opposite hand, leaving the one closest to Peyton free. "I got the opportunity to love Keith, and I know he loved me back." His eyes were gazing hard into hers, like he was trying to read straight down to her soul. He knew how he was feeling, and that it was a part of his heart resurrected, but he was still trying to see what message her heart was sending. "And I still have that chance with you…" he stated timidly.

Reaching out for Peyton, he raised his hand to her cheek and stroked her porcelain skin gently. He loved her soft feel and warm smile. He could see the longing stare in her eye, and he returned it as well. The way she looked so pure and deep was like a breath of fresh air to Lucas. He hadn't seen her in that light for so long, but now that he has, he realized his feelings for he had never gone away. She was the one his heart longed for. And even though all of it seems so confusing and hard, she was worth all of that to him.

Leaning into his touch, Peyton was overwhelmed with feelings. All this time she had been too afraid to tell Lucas her feelings for him, and now he was exposing himself. He was always the one making the moves as she followed along. She just had to make sure it was right. Peyton questioned, "What's happening, Lucas?"

Inching closer, Lucas rested his forehead on Peyton's. "I don't know," he confessed. He knew what he wanted to do, and that he wanted Peyton to be his, but their situation was beyond confusing. By that point, he was so close that his lips were only breaths away from touching hers. "But I can't take anything back."

Peyton knew that it was her turn. He had brought them closer, and up to this very point. Lucas always led the way and forced her to feel the feelings that they shared. But this time around, Peyton had to show that her love has been there for a long time coming. She should've been the first one to make the move, but she missed her opportunity. She knew I was in her hands to finish the deal as she whispered, "So don't."

Making that final push, Peyton pressed her lips against Luke's. It had been such a long time since they last kissed with such passion. It was nearly magic between them. And even after all the drama and heartache the two of them had been put through, they finally found each other again. They found that love that heals all pain and make each day in life more than just another day.


	11. Chapter 11

A loud bang and a crash of glass later, Peyton screamed in terror. She pulled away from Lucas as the noise sounded, but he kept her close. He covered her body with his own, nearly on top of her on the car seat. His heart bounded against his chest, racing from both his kiss with Peyton, and now whatever chaos surrounded them. And even through his own shaky body, he could feel Peyton was much worse. All he could do was protect her, and hope that that was the pits of whatever commotion was happening to them.

Lying still and not hearing anymore noise surrounding them, Lucas slowly sat up in his seat. He still stayed close to Peyton, ready to cover her again if needed. Luke took in deep breaths, trying to stay calm for her. "What the hell was that?" he questioned with an angry look on his face.

The two of them glanced around, but all they could see was that that rear windshield had been broken. There was an obvious hole through the right side of the windshield, almost as if whoever had smashed it in was aiming at the driver's seat. It was such an impact that it caused the rest of the window to shatter about, but the one hole was a direct hit.

Peyton's eyes went wide as she looked over at Lucas. She knew that someone was aiming towards him, and that he knew it as well. Luke could see that he was the target of this attack, but he was still worried about Peyton. That frightened look in her eyes was so hard to take when all he wanted was for her to feel safe. Lucas simply swallowed hard and reached past Peyton to open her door for her. He turned away and reached for his own door, getting out of the car as well.

As he hopped out, a rather large rock hit the ground. It seemed like it had fallen out of the car, so Lucas bent down to retrieve it. It wasn't until he was standing up straight that he could see there was something else on it. In a scarlet liquid, the message "She's mine" was clearly written.

Running across the street towards the two of them, Haley made her way over to Peyton. She could see that her friend was a mess and asked, "Are you two alright?" Haley stared at Peyton strangely, waiting for an answer. When she saw that there was a loss for words between them, she quickly gave her a friendly and supportive hug.

Lucas made his way around the car to see Haley and Peyton together. He didn't know how much Haley had seen, or how much Peyton knew for that matter, but he didn't want to alarm either of them. They were obviously distressed, so he simply stated, "Hales, call the police."

"What is it?" Haley questioned softly, pulling away from Peyton to look at Lucas. She could tell from the look of seriousness on Lucas' face that it was more important than just an accident.

Slowly turning her attention to him as well, Peyton eyed Lucas with a lump in her throat. Everything seemed to be going so well for that moment, and then it was ruined. She couldn't imagine how it could get much worse, but that look on his face told her that it would. Timidly, she waited for his answer to Haley's question. And getting a little impatient, Peyton pried softly, "Lucas?"

Lucas shook his head with a clenched jaw. He stepped closer to the girls and took Peyton into his arms. He hugged her close and exhaled deeply. Luke closed his eyes tight and stated, "Don't worry, Peyton." Leaving a kiss on her forehead, Lucas squeezed her a tad tighter. He took another deep breath before opening his eyes and glancing over at his friend. "Hales, please..?" he questioned as he held his hand out to her with the rock face up.

Haley stared at Lucas strangely as she took the large rock from Lucas' hand. It was almost silly that she had missed it earlier, but she was caught up in the emotions of the incident. But as she looked down at the rock now in her own hands, she realized it was no accident. Her eyes darted back up to Lucas as she cooed, "Of course."

Watching Haley take off back to the café, Lucas also took a moment to scan the area. Psycho-Derek obviously hasn't learned his lesson yet, and wasn't smart enough to stay away from them. Luke just wished that a police officer was there, or something or someone to make sure that he wouldn't get away with harming anyone else. With those thoughts of the poser hurting Peyton, or even trying to hurt her, Lucas cuddle closer to Peyton and kissed the top of her head once more.

Peyton sniffled back, trying her hardest not to fall apart on a public sidewalk of Tree Hill. Even when she was covered by Lucas, she could feel faux-Derek seeping into her skin. Luke could be all she felt, all she saw, and all she heard, but there was still that feeling that crawled under her skin that her stalker was around.

Swallowing hard, Peyton looked up into Lucas' eyes. "Was it him?" she inquired, knowing that there was more to Luke's concern for this situation.

Raising his hand up to her cheek, Lucas stroked her damp skin gently. He did his best to put on a faint smile as he wiped her quiet tears away. "Everything's going to be alright," he remarked, trying to use his most reassuring tone.

"Luke!" Peyton hollered, her voice cracking slightly. Sometimes they knew each other too well to be able to get away with little white lies, and this was exactly one of those times. Just the way he wouldn't look her directly in the eye, and not answering his question clearly, she knew that he was avoiding the truth. Rarely would Lucas flat out lie to Peyton, but she knew when he was hiding something.

Lucas stared at Peyton and could tell that she wanted to know the whole story. All he was trying to do was protect her, but he wasn't doing any good by keeping these facts from her. Meeting her eyes, and his heart dropping in his chest, Lucas knew he had to break the news to her. "Yeah, it was," he said in a defeated manner. But before she could get a word in, Lucas quickly added, "But he's not going to get to you, okay?" He brought his hand down to her chin, raising her head to look at him. "I'm here."

Peyton sniffled back, trying to keep in her tears. She pushed away from Lucas and broke free from his hold, immediately letting her head drop to stare at the ground. "We've only been parked for a minute, Luke." She flashed back around and looked at Lucas. "He was following us!" she exclaimed. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching the area before adding, "Or-or maybe he's been waiting!"

Lucas approached Peyton and held her by the shoulders so she wouldn't fidget. He moved his head along with hers until she'd meet his eyes. As sincerely and boldly as possible, Lucas stated, "And he's going to get caught."

Repeatedly shaking her head, Peyton finally muttered, "You don't know that."

"I do," Lucas cooed. He let his hands drop from her shoulders and creep down her back. He held her in his arms with his heart still racing. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Peyton." He could see Haley on the phone with the police through the café window, but he didn't care. Whether they were going to help him or not, he was going to take care of Peyton. "I promise."

With her head resting on his shoulder, Peyton rolled her eyes up slowly towards Lucas. "What if you can't keep your promise?" she questioned with a glum and shaky voice.

"We haven't had that problem yet," Lucas stated coolly, knowing Peyton's eyes were on him. He pulled away, only the amount needed to meet her gaze. "And I'm not planning on starting now."

Peyton sniffled again, touched by his sentiment. It was hard to believe everything was going to be okay, especially in this situation. But he tried so hard, and Peyton knew that if there was one person she could trust in the world, it was Lucas Scott. "I love you," she whispered as she hugged him tenderly.

Stroking her back and embracing the hug, Lucas was glad that his words had gotten through to her. They both knew that people talked a lot, and it was the actions that always meant the most, but they always believed each other. Playing with the ends of her curls between his fingers, Luke replied, "I love you too."

Leaning her forehead into his chest, Peyton took a moment in his hold. It seemed like her head and her heart were on overload for these past two days with all the Derek chaos. But at the same time, it seemed like her head and her heart had been on overload since the beginning of her relationship with Lucas. They would talk, and they'd kiss, and they'd be the best of friends, but something always stopped them from becoming more. For all those hours they'd spend talking about nothing important, they had ten times that amount in words unspoken. Not wanting to lose her chance, or lose her man, Peyton spoke softly, "I'm in love with you, Lucas."

"Good," Luke stated with a grin on his face. He let out a sigh of relief as he stared into her eyes. They always danced around their feelings and made stupid choices to spare their friends and family. But for once, Lucas wanted to act selfishly and let himself love. Luke was just glad that she returned his feelings for real, and it wasn't just his heart getting his hopes up again. He added matter-of-factly, "Because I'm in love with you, Peyton." And still smiling, Lucas brushed his thumb over Peyton's bottom lip, just waiting to kiss her. "I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Their lips met once again, still with much intensity. Their kisses were like no other. They'd feel passion and love and maybe momentary bliss, but never had a kiss shared with another felt so right. Both Lucas and Peyton were infamous for their words spoken at great length, but this sheer piece of beauty was too much for even hem to put into words.

Slowly leaving his lips, Peyton smiled up at her man. "It's okay," she replied as she let one of her hands roam through his hair. She let her hand drop back behind his neck and pulled him closer for another kiss. But before their lips touched again, she quietly stated, "You're worth the wait."


	12. Chapter 12

Making her way outside, Haley looked twice both ways before jogging across the street. Without thinking, she started to tell the two, "The police are one their—" Catching a glimpse of Peyton and Lucas with lips locked together, Haley blurted out, "Kisses?"

Both turning toward Haley, the kiss was broken off early. Neither of them wanted to let go, but no one else knew about their newly refreshed relationship. Even they didn't know what it all meant at that point.

Not willing to let go of Peyton completely, Lucas kept his arms wrapped tightly around her body. He chuckled softly as he looked at the shocked look on Haley's face. "Nice timing, Hales," he commented.

"Sorry," Haley started as she quickly looked away from the two. She knew she had interrupted something, and now she was blankly staring at them. A little lost for words, she added in a ramble, "You know, I should just—I'll just—"

Peyton shook her head and pulled away from Lucas slightly. She wanted to stay in his arms and she wanted to be near him, but she didn't want to make Haley feel uncomfortable. Peyton knew what it was like to be the third wheel, even if no one said it or acted like it. "No, it's okay, Haley," Peyton remarked, stopping Haley before she could run off.

Noticing the way Peyton was somewhat brushing him off, Lucas threw his hands up into the air in frustration. "She's already dumping me!" he exclaimed in a joking manner.

All Peyton could do was shake her head with a grin on her face. She didn't mean to be pushing anyone away, even if she did know that Lucas was trying to poke fun at it. Still, she loved that flirty side of him that would make even the most serious times easy to crack jokes.

A little confused, Haley still stared at them with judging eyes. "So you two are actually together, together?" she questioned. "Not just like, kissing during a crisis?"

Turning her body towards Lucas, Peyton flashed glances between him and Haley. Her jaw dropped slightly as she glared at Lucas and asked, "Does everyone know about that?"

Haley threw her hands in the air, calling for the attention. "Come on!" she mumbled in a somewhat whiney tone. It felt like everyone was avoiding her questions, and all Haley wanted to know were some facts. It was like ever since the wedding, she had been completely out of the loop. She added, "You guys are killing me!" with a pleading expression on her face.

"Peyton's my girlfriend…" Lucas replied with a warm smile on his face. A second later, he dropped the expression for a look of confusion as he added, "That is if she'll have me as her boyfriend." He continued staring down at Peyton with hopeful eyes, wanting them to be an item. They hadn't had the chance to talk things out clearly, or even to their relationship's full extent, but something in his heart told Lucas that it was the right thing.

A grin on her face, Peyton nodded shyly. She couldn't help but move a little closer and give Lucas a sweet peck on the lips before backing away for Haley's sake. And to lighten up the seriousness of the conversation a touch more, she included, "We'll have to make sure it's alright with my other boyfriends, but I think I have room for you."

Giving her stern eyes, Lucas mumbled, "Oh really…" Even though he knew she was joking, he couldn't help but want to show everyone else that Peyton Sawyer was his, and his alone. Even if she was already wanting to back out, he wasn't going to give her up so easily. He leaned in slightly, ready to kiss her again and remind her that he was the one.

Haley smiled brightly and pushed Lucas playfully by the arm. "It's about freakin' time, you two," she blurted with a touch of exhaustion. Haley could feel that she had interrupted yet another moment for them, but she didn't really care. They had wasted so much time pretending they were only friends, that they could wait a little longer to hear what she had to say. "For a while, I thought Nathan and I were going to have a third wedding before you two ever came around."

Letting out a slight laugh, Peyton patted her hand on top of Lucas' chest as she stated, "I can't help it if Lucas is slow…"

Lucas' jaw dropped as he pulled away from Peyton a little more. He glared at her a tad and questioned, "What happened to 'worth the wait'?"

All Peyton could do was laugh at his statement. Things were always destined to get messy, and confusing, and more serious than fun. But for once in a long while, things felt like they were just comfortable. They could have their fun, but they could also connection with each other and meet on deeper levels. It was almost like they could talk to each other without thinking how the other will react or if anyone's feelings are going to get hurt in the process. The feeling was nearly carefree, as if they never missed out on their childhoods and weren't forced to grow up too quickly. They simply stared into each other's eyes like they were the only two people on earth.

Shaking her head to avoid direct eye contact, Haley also waved her hands in the air to call for the attention once more. "Before you guys leech onto each other again, back to my original thought," she remarked, hoping they could resist each other for a little bit longer. Haley explained, "The police are on their way."

Scratching the bad of his head, the smile disappeared from Lucas' face. He had almost forgotten why they were standing on the streets of Tree Hill so blankly. He had almost forgotten what happened the previous night to bring him and Peyton Sawyer closer once more. "We should probably wait for them out here," he stated, his arms running up and down Peyton's arms for warmth. He had kept some of the details away from Peyton at this point so she wouldn't have more fear in her heart, but he knew at the same time, that just made for his to provide more protection.

With a curious tone in Haley's voice, and look in her eye, she said, "I gave them your names, and they just jumped on it." Looking at the two of them, she could feel that something was up with them. That maybe there was more to the story than Lucas or Peyton was telling her. She had seen what was written on the rock, but that didn't explain much. "Do they just remember you guys from the shooting, or what?" she inquired, hoping that the situation was better than she expected.

Peyton glanced over at Lucas, not sure what to say or do. She didn't exactly want the whole world knowing her business, especially when Peyton blamed herself for getting into a predicament of this sort. But at the same time, Haley was one of their closest friends, and she knew that it was safe with her. Hesitantly, Peyton started, "Do you remember my brother?"

"Yeah," she answered, nodding her head as well. She took a moment to think before adding, "Derek, right? He's a cool guy."

Lucas shook his head with his lips pressed together. He quickly stated, "Not so cool."

"And not so Derek," Peyton remarked, somewhat glumly, but still with a faint smile upon her face.

Haley's eyes darted back and forth between the two before she loudly blurted in a state of confusion, "What?"

Slowly and subtly, Peyton's hand crept down Luke's until she reached his hand. She held his in her own and squeezed it tightly, ready to tell Haley the dirty little details of the previous night. It was hard for Peyton to repeat such a scary encounter, and she wasn't going to go very in depth, but just admitting what happened was hard enough. The only thing that made the retelling slightly better was the fact that Lucas was there. He held onto Peyton's hand just as tightly as she had grabbed for. He was going to be her support in all of this, and they relied on each other so faithfully. It was something true that only friends could do so easily. It was something that came naturally to Lucas and Peyton; together to live and love.


	13. Chapter 13

The police arrived and started their investigation without any wavering. Peyton Sawyer and Lucas Scott were more than familiar to the officers at this point, and they knew they needed to get down to business. They were going to get as many notes and clues as possible to bring down the creep that was stalking around Tree Hill. There were enough bad people out in this world, they didn't need any in their own community if they could help it.

Glancing around at the commotion across the street, Brooke walked past and entered the café. She sat down at the counter, her eyes still watching Lucas' car surrounded by officers. She notice Haley approach from the corner of her eye and flashed quick glances between her friend and the scene. "What's going on over there?" Brooke questioned with a touch of concern.

Haley looked over to the car as well. She had left after the police had reached the scene, and also after learning some facts about the previous night's incidents. Her head was completely jumbled with all those horrific thoughts and worries for her friends. She commented tiredly, "Someone threw a rock and smashed Lucas' windshield."

Brooke's eyes slowly rolled back to Haley's and stopped with all focus on her. She could tell that something else was on her friend's mind, but didn't know exactly what. Figuring it wasn't about the same subject, or something that she'd want to bring up, Brooke shrugged. She shook her head with her worried thoughts and Brooke mumbled in a self-righteous tone, "I guess karma catches up on people."

For a moment, Haley simply stared at Brooke. She wasn't sure what there was to say. She knew that in this past year that Brooke had been hurt repeatedly by both Lucas and Peyton. She also knew that sometimes, the outcome wasn't anyone's fault. And this time for sure, what happened shouldn't be blamed on anyone in their group of friends. "I'm pretty sure someone smashed your windshields in last year, Brooke," Haley bit back, trying not to give away too many secretive details. She simply glared at Brooke for a moment, trying to prove a point without saying any other names or bringing anyone else into their problems.

Looking back at her, Brooke could tell she said something wrong. Not exactly apologetic, Brooke admitted, "I never said I was perfect." She swallowed hard, trying to avoid how she must've sounded. Brooke knew that she wasn't completely right to make such harsh statements, but she also knew that Lucas didn't exactly deserve her sympathy. She wanted to be able to hold her grudge. Still, letting her human side get the best of her, Brooke questioned, "Is he alright?"

Breaking their eye contact, Haley started wiping down the counter and clearing a few plates that were left a few seats down. "They're fine," she replied simply.

Nodding, Brooke glanced back out the window. She was glad Haley said they were okay, but a thought suddenly hit her. She turned back to Haley and inquired, "'They'?"

Haley's eyes bounced back upwards to meet Brooke's. Her jaw dropped slightly, realizing that she had just let something slip that she didn't want to get into. It definitely wasn't her place to be telling Brooke these things, but she wasn't going to act like it was a secret now. Haley stepped closer to Brooke quietly and timidly stated, "Uh, Peyton was in the car too."

Brooke rolled her eyes, trying to avoid meeting Haley's eyes. She was obviously hurt, but she didn't the world knowing that fact. "When is she not in his car?" Brooke mumbled bitterly. She snickered slightly and continued mockingly, "'I'm not going to make a move on him, Brooke. I promise.' Sure."

Taking a deep breath, Haley stood in front of Brooke with a decision to make. She knew she had to say something more to change the way Brooke was looking at the situation. Leaning in over the counter, Haley kept closer to Brooke as she quietly started, "Don't kill the messenger, Brooke, but--"

"If you're Peyton, you'll just kiss the messenger," Brooke quickly interjected, not caring much of what Haley had to say. Sure, they used to be best friends at once, but Brooke only knew of her broken heart at that point. They went around in these circles over this one guy. The man was supposed to be Brooke's, but Peyton had her way of getting in the way, and always being the center of attention.

"Brooke," Haley called out, calling for the attention. She knew exactly what type of mindset Brooke was getting into, and it was all wrong. She had to tell her something to get her to change of point of view. Haley continued in a calmer manner, "Peyton got attacked last night. And the guy is still out there." She stopped for a moment with her head hung. She didn't need to go into more detail, but she could see the look of curiosity growing on Brooke's face. She had told her so much so far, the rest of it was just as important. "The guy is actually some internet stalker that was pretending to be Derek for this past month."

Turning around against for another short look, Brooke could only make out a few of the police officers standing around the outside scene. "Is she okay?" she inquired hesitantly in a low voice.

Staring to nod, Haley replied, "Yeah." Haley straightened herself up and pulled away from Brooke. She continued wiping down the counter between the two of them as she remarked, "Luke made it there in time. They're both okay for now."

Brooke nodded as she pressed her lips together. She hated that she was concerned for people she felt like never cared about her feelings. "Don't tell her I asked or anything," Brooke rapidly threw in, hoping that her secret was safe.

With a furrowed brow, Haley eyed Brooke strangely. She didn't know why she would have told Peyton that, or why it mattered if she did, but it wasn't really any of her business. "Of course," Haley replied softly. She smiled faintly and raised the towel from the counter, bringing it over to the coffee machine behind her.

Perking up a little, Brooke called out, "Wait." She waited a moment for Haley to turn back around and join her again. She stared at Haley curiously, more obviously still on both of their minds. "Why did you say the whole messenger thing?" she asked.

"Oh…" Haley bashfully looked down to the ground. She ran the dirty rag between her fingers, trying to think of how to put her words. "Well, I haven't gotten to that part yet," she started, still trying to stall for time. Brooke had become such a good friend to her, but at the same time, Lucas has been her best friend through all the times that truly counted. Haley swallowed hard with a glum look on her face, not knowing what else she could or should say.

Reaching out, Brooke grabbed the towel from Haley's hands. It was wet, and Brooke could feel that it wasn't the cleanest thing to be touching. She tossed it aside and looked up into her eyes. "Haley…" she called out in an impatient way, trying to get the truth out of her friend.

Haley finally looked up at Brooke in an exhausted manner. She returned to her close position to Brooke and leaned in once more. "They're together," she blurted simply. Haley continued to look Brooke in the eye before clarifying, "Lucas and Peyton."

Brooke's eyes went wide as she was startled with the news. Her eyes quickly darted away from Haley's as she flashed back around to face the scene. She stared hard and finally got a glance of the blonde curly locks she couldn't stand. Even though they used to be friends, it still stung and it wasn't something she could tolerate easily. "Karma catches up with people, right?" Brooke asked, hoping it would stand a chance at making her feel better. She didn't speak in any emotion that was easy to make out, for the most part. All she really seemed to be was hurt.

Haley could see that her friend was greatly pained. She hated than any of them had to put each other through that type of torture, but there was so much more to their story than betrayal. Wondering if anything she could say would make a difference, Haley started to throw out, "They're honestly happy together, Brooke. And I know it sucks for you, but—"

"How do you know, Haley?" Brooke hollered. She glared at Haley with a disgusted look and added an irritated scoff as well. "Have you ever had your boyfriend stolen by your best friend?" she loudly asked with a scowl on her face. She huffed and took another deep breath before she continued, "Or that—"

"You can see it," Haley bit back. She stood in front of Brooke boldly, tired of hearing all of her friends in this awkward predicament. It seemed so simple to the outsider looking in at this point. Haley just wanted her friends back and for things to not be so rough anymore. If there were any problems she could solve, she was going to try her hardest.

The angry stare still lingering between the two, Brooke questioned, "What?"

Pressing her lips together, Haley hesitated to finish her sentence. Everything she was thinking need to be said, and she wanted to get everything out in the open. The one thing she wasn't quite ready for was telling her friend something that's hard for even the most open minded person to understand. She took a moment before taking a keep breath and elaborating, "That they belong together…" Haley nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, hoping that Brooke wasn't ready to leap over the counter and start attacking her. "You can see that they should be together, and that's why it sucks the most," Haley clarified. She pressed her lips together once more and started to nod. Haley took a step back from the counter and created some distance between herself and Brooke. Noting that what she had to say was over the line, she added, "Don't kill the messenger, Brooke."

Slowly nodding, Brooke stared down at the counter. It was hard to face the truth, especially when it was something like that. She knew that she always had a fear of Peyton and Lucas' epic romance, but all she ever considered it as was a fear. She never told herself that it was something she was scared of because it was reality. "Well did you have to tell me that about myself?" Brooke asked smugly in reply to Haley's last statement.

Giving Brooke sympathetic eyes, Haley shook her head. "I didn't have to," she confessed in a quiet voice. She started to make her way around the counter, and grabbed the stool next to Brooke. She sat down with her body facing her friend and remarked, "But you needed to admit it sooner or later."

Sniffling, Brooke's voice cracked as she stated, "I was going to wait for later."

Haley brought her hand up to Brooke's back and stroked it softly. "I know," she spoke in a comforting tone. Haley shifted her weight and moved closer to Brooke, letting her friend rest her head on her shoulder. She hated bringing her friend to tears, but it was something that had to be done for everyone to understand each other better. "I'm sorry," Haley cooed as well, hoping to help her friend feel better.

Brooke let the tears run down her cheeks. They were quiet, and didn't fall hard, but they were still there. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to wish it all away. And at the same time, Haley wished they weren't there either. For such a long time, all of them just tried to avoid the pain and pretend like things were going to be okay.


	14. Chapter 14

Walking along a sidewalk covered with shattered glass, Nathan caught a glimpse of a police car driving away. Once he realized the car with the back windshield smashed in was a familiar one, he raced around to check out the damage. He noticed Lucas and Peyton standing closely together, his brother's arms wrapped securely around his ex-girlfriend. "Hey," he greeted with confusion on his face. It took him a moment to lift his dropped jaw and he asked, "What happened?"

Lucas' eyes darted up to see his brother standing next to him with concern. He kept his arms wrapped around Peyton, but shook his head. "It's a long story," he stated, not really wanting to get into much detail. He took a deep breath, thinking about what had just happened, the night before, and the possibilities for what's to come. "We'll tell you some other time."

Still without much information, Nathan continued to look over the car and his friends. Looking through the large hole in the glass, he then questioned, "Are you guys okay?"

Peyton stepped back from Lucas slightly, giving herself a little space to be able to look at the damage as well. "Yeah…" Peyton remarked glumly, not really sure if they were completely okay. They seemed to be safe when the police would come right away and start on their reports, but things were still happening to them. They still couldn't seem to stray away from all the bad. And suddenly feeling cold, Peyton rushed herself back into Lucas' arms for the warmth of his hold again.

A smirk rising on his face, Nathan returned to his friends and inquired, "Are you guys together?" He raised an eyebrow to them, knowing that he caught them off guard. Nate knew that Lucas and Peyton were extremely close friends, and it was cold enough out that he was just keeping his friend warm in his arms, but Nathan could feel something different. And for long before Nathan's relationship with his brother, he knew of Lucas' feelings for Peyton. Finding the silence between the three of them getting a touch awkward, Nathan finally threw in, "I'm not stupid."

"There's a first for everything," Peyton jokingly replied. Even though they had already claimed they were a couple to Haley, it was still strange. Nathan was still one of Peyton's ex-boyfriends, even if he was married and such. There were just some conversations she'd rather save herself from than having everyone know her business.

Knowing how Peyton's mind works, Lucas stepped up to answer, "We are." He didn't like hiding his feelings for her, and he didn't like much that she was hiding either, but it was the way they both worked. It was hard for both of them to be open with others, but Lucas wanted to change that. He wanted things to be different for once.

Nathan grinned and held his hand out to shake with Lucas'. "It's about time!" he hollered, excited to hear their news. Being there since the very beginning, it was hard for Nathan to deny the connection his little brother had with Peyton, even while he was still her boyfriend. But now Nate was both a friend and brother, and he was truly happy for the couple.

Lucas took Nathan's hand and shook it with a curious smile on his face. "That's what Haley said," Lucas finally cooed, wondering if they were already the talk of the town.

With a chuckle, Nathan admitted, "Well, we could see it coming." He shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Peyton. Nate had grown used to seeing Peyton around with Lucas, but he couldn't help feeling strange every now and then. Peyton used to stand at Nathan's side, but now she was in his brother's arms. But Nathan wasn't jealous or concerned, it was just interesting to see the ways everyone's lives have changed. He added jokingly, "I mean, you were after her while she was still my girlfriend, man. What took you so long?"

Letting out a soft laugh, Lucas rolled his eyes. He knew that other people wouldn't understand why it took them so long to reach this point, but Lucas knew it was because they both had the best of intentions for themselves and the rest of Tree Hill. "So now everyone's supposed to get married after a few months of dating?" Lucas asked, trying to lighten the mood further and jab him back.

Nodding, Nathan let out, "Hey!" He stared at the two others seriously as he finished, "Don't knock it till you've tried it."

Standing up straight, Peyton eyed Nathan strangely. "Yeah, we're not trying it," she quickly bit. Her eyes returning back to Lucas, she could see he was hurt by that statement. Peyton's jaw dropped slightly, shocked that he would even think of something like that so soon. It wasn't that she could see them getting married at one point, it was more like how they would do in facing everything that was usually against them. "Let's just try and get through a week of each other first," she remarked wittily, hoping that he'd just understand her point and go with it.

Giving her a pathetic look, Lucas shrugged his shoulders. He looked like she had just broken up with him, but couldn't hold the look much longer. A smile broke out onto his face as he softly cooed, "We'll make it."

Smiling at the sweet sentiment, Nathan was happy to see Lucas and Peyton together. It was nice that there was another couple that got to experience a true love that is definitely hard to find. With what he's learned from being with Haley, Nathan just wanted everyone to feel the amazing grace of being in love with that special someone. Looking for his own love, Nathan turned to face the café. He looked toward the glass window, but caught a glimpse of a brunette speeding over to them. He took a deep breath as the smile was wiped off of his face. Under his breath, he muttered, "Unless Brooke gets to one of you first."

Catching the hint, Peyton started to turn towards whatever Nathan was staring at. It wasn't long before she spotted Brooke. "She does not look happy," Peyton stated, reading the body language of her ex-best friend. It wasn't hard to tell when Brooke was a person that'd wear her heart on her sleeve. And also knowing how vicious the girl could be, Peyton's first reaction was to cling on closer to Lucas as some sort of protection, even though she knew that no one would be able to save them.

Nathan flashed glances between the couple and the fiery ex. He wasn't going to pick anyone's side, especially since this war didn't need to exist. Looking at Peyton, and trying to make sense of the situation, Nathan asked, "You blame her?"

Peyton was taken by the statement, not really sure how to respond. She knew that Nathan had a point, and she wouldn't deny that. Boundaries had been crossed in all of this, and that wouldn't be forgotten, but everyone still hoped for forgiveness. Even though she didn't owe him anything, Peyton gave Nathan apologetic eyes to show her sympathies for the dilemma. Still staring at Brooke on her way over, she bashfully questioned, "Should we hide?" Peyton slowly turned to face Lucas once more, as she could tell that he was worried too.

"I don't want to be standing next to the two of you right now," Nathan commented. He tried to keep the tension to a minimum, but it was hard knowing all the past drama they've been through. He continued to flash glances between the two parties. As a thought hit him, he added, "By the way, you should probably uncouple."

Swallowing hard, Lucas stared at Brooke's determined stride towards them. He knew that Brooke always forced things, trying her damnedest to get what she wanted. And even though her fury was fierce, and they knew she could be overly feisty, Lucas didn't care. He held onto Peyton with his arms still wrapped around her waist. "I'm not letting go," he cooed, letting his eyes drop down to meet Peyton's once more. He didn't care who else knew how much he needed this girl, but he had to make sure Peyton herself understood.

Marching straight up to the three of them, Brooke stood boldly in the street. She crossed her arms over her chest, with a scowl on her face and a piercing look in her eye. "I don't care," she announced, her voice a little raspy.

With a furrowed brow, Peyton stared at her friend. She gripped Lucas a little tighter, but refrained from looking weak in front of Brooke. She didn't want to show how much she needed Lucas, and she definitely didn't want to show her that Brooke had a tendency to scare Peyton at times. Expecting much worse, Peyton was confused on Brooke's last statement. "What?" she questioned as if she misheard her friend.

"It's fine," Brooke stated, trying her hardest not to make eye contact with any of them.

Lucas shared a confused look with Peyton before turning back to Brooke and staring at her strangely as well. He didn't understand what exactly was happening. For a second, he thought that maybe Brooke was giving them permission to be together, but at the same time, he knew girls better than that. He knew that when it came to girls, he knew close to nothing, and there was a possibility that Brooke had something else up her sleeve or was speaking in code. Trying to get down to the meaning of her words, Lucas started, "Are you—"

"Sure?" Brooke interjected, finished Lucas' statement. Her eyes darted up to his, but she didn't move any other muscle. She looked like she was ready to spit fire, but she refrained. She held herself down and let her head drop slightly so she couldn't be looking at anyone. Brooke stated, "You guys should probably just take it now before I realize what I'm saying."

Peyton shared another look with Lucas as they were finally on the same page. They had never expected for something like this to happen. It was like they had received a chance for things to just go back to normal, like none of their hearts had ever been broken. But seeing a touch of pain on Brooke's hidden face, Peyton started, "Brooke—"

Brooke instantly shook her head, clenching her jaw, and still avoiding eye contact. She took in a deep breath before she quietly muttered, "Seriously." Bashfully rolling her eyes up to the couple, she looked at them and could see their happiness. She hated herself for getting caught in the middle of it when she never should've been there in the first place. Getting herself involved only lost herself her best friend, and gave herself a broken heart. Starting to feel the regret sink in, and them standing there in silence, Brooke wanted to take back her promise. She started counting back the time, "Three, two—"

"Thank you," Peyton interjected before she would lose her chance at peace with Brooke. Even if they couldn't be friends again, it was nice to know that she at least wasn't the enemy so much anymore.

And even though Brooke could see their happiness, it still killed her to know that she wouldn't have that. She couldn't go back to being happy with Peyton, and she definitely couldn't go back to what she used to have with Lucas. She knew they weren't trying to flaunt it, but she could see the way Lucas would hold Peyton close, and truly didn't want to let go. And she could see the way Peyton held on for dear life, when she'd usually be pushing everyone and everything away. Those two people were so closed off to the world, and never relied on anyone but themselves. And now they were relying on each other.

With that thought, Brooke turned away. She knew she couldn't be in that world as hard as she tried. Brooke strutted down the sidewalk, on her way to anywhere but there. They had something she could never touch, and she was alright with that. At least she understood at this point.


	15. Chapter 15

Turning quickly at the sound of the café doors opening, Haley saw her husband with a strange look on his face. They had reached a good place in their relationship, especially with the new fact that they were going to have themselves a real family. But since the night before, it seemed like things had gone downhill for Nathan again. She walked up to him with a touch of concern and greeted, "Hey!"

Nathan turned to see his wife and gave her a tender hug. He kissed the top of her forehead softly and replied, "Hey." They walked further into the café, both sitting at the counter in a spot where they could have their privacy. Nathan flashed glances back and forth between the countertop and out the café window. He was obviously distant, and when he looked at Haley, he could tell she could see it too. The worry in her eyes made him immediately state, "I'm fine. It's just…" Nathan passed another glance through the window, even though he couldn't make out much of the figures that stood outside. He furrowed his brow before stating, "The strangest thing just happened."

Shifting her weight, Haley adjusted herself do she could be closer to Nathan and face him directly. "What?" she questioned with a curious eye, and still that same concern.

Nathan returned his attention to Haley with a look of amazement on his face. He let out a chuckle before stating, "I think Brooke just gave Lucas and Peyton her blessing."

Her eyes wide, Haley let out a faint laugh as well. "Her blessing?" she asked, confused about the matter. She had just had a talk with Brooke, and Haley definitely didn't think it would turn out that way. Facing her demons was hard enough, and she was expecting Brooke to conquer them so quickly as well.

Nodding, Nathan let out a quiet, "Yeah…" He took another glance out the window, thinking about how far they had got since the beginning of high school. He smiled faintly to himself, proud of all them finding happiness, even if it took some longer than others. "For them to be together," Nathan elaborated, even though it didn't need to be said.

"Wow," Haley exhaled, still shocked. She replayed her conversation with Brooke in her head, thinking about her growth as a person. "Didn't expect her to do that."

Nathan smiled at his wife, taking her hand and cradling it softly in his own. There was always so much drama and tension going on, that it was nice to take the time to enjoy the good things now and then. "Sometimes people surprise you," Nathan remarked before kissing her delicately on the lips. Nathan hesitated to say much more, but there was something else on his mind. "Lucas has got some weird thing going on. He gets his windshield smashed, but he gets his dream girl and his ex-girlfriend's blessing." Nathan thought it over one more time, now nearly in awe. IT seemed so simple in his head, just like something that had happened. But the more thought Nathan put to it, the more he was happy for things working out for his big brother. "He actually came out on top this time."

Haley smiled sweetly, still holding onto Nathan's hand. She took her other free hand and gently rubbed Nathan's back. Haley could tell that there was a nice moment for them. She also loved that instead of their constant bickering, Nathan and Lucas were sharing moments that only brothers could share. But at the same time as those other feelings, she felt like Nathan needed to know all the information before he thought Lucas was getting something easily. Nothing was easy in Tree Hill. "Not exactly," Haley mumbled under her breath.

Staring strangely at Haley, it was as if Nathan and Haley had instantly switched places. Now Nathan was the one with concern in his eyes and wanting to know more information, and Haley was the one struggling with thoughts in her mind. "What?" Nathan asked.

Haley looked over at Nathan and stood up. She kept her hand on his back, still massaging it gently. She stared into his eyes, reading his expression. She could tell that he honestly had no idea about anything else that had happened in this chain of events. Not wanting Nathan to feel out of the loop, but still not exactly wanting to spill Lucas and Peyton's secret around town, Haley inquired, "They didn't tell you about Derek, did they?"

"Peyton's brother?" Nathan questioned back with a raised eyebrow. That being the only Derek he could think of, Nate continued, "He's pretty coo—"

"No," Haley cut off, knowing what Nathan was going to say because she had the same thought earlier. Haley shook her head and moved her hand to her own neck for a nervous rub. Haley rolled her eyes with her thoughts running rampant as she remarked, "He's not really Peyton's brother." Shaking her head once more, Haley tried to get rid of the creepy thoughts about this psycho that had entered their lives. She walked around to the other side of the counter and grabbed for two coffee cups. She knew this was a confusing state, and it might take awhile. As she started to pour their coffee, Haley also started to explain, "Derek's—Shoot, his name probably isn't even Derek."

With a look of confusion on this face, Nathan plainly stated, "I don't get it." He shrugged his shoulder and watched Haley handling the coffee. He could see she looked upset, but he was still wondering what Derek had to do with all of it. He started to question, "What—"

"Hey guys," a deep voice interrupted from behind Nathan. The blonde imposter stood boldly in the café with a smile on his face. He had a few obvious scratches on his face as well as his neck and any other spot of visible skin. But other than the marks, he looked different as well. His hair was a little shorter, and tinted a different shade. And unlike all the others times they had seen him, he was wearing a sweatshirt and basketball shorts. He seemed happy to be there, like nothing bad had happened the previous night. His focus on Haley, the fraud asked, "Hales, how's the baby doing?"

Haley trembled slightly, staring at the face of a psycho. She was both glad she knew the truth about him, and terrified that she knew what he was capable of. Haley didn't know what he was up to, or anything of that sort, but she could feel it was wrong. "What are you doing here?" Haley inquired with a shaky voice, trying hard to be bold.

The pretend-Derek tilted his head slightly as he looked at Haley. He pressed his lips out slightly and squinted his eyes and he read into Haley. "What's wrong, Hales?"

Nathan could tell that something was wrong, but his first thought was that it had to do with the baby. Wanting to take care of his wife and his family, Nathan called out, "Haley?" He waited for her to reply, but there was nothing out of her. All he got was a stern look from her, which was better than her expression while she was in a confused trance.

Getting the feeling that she wasn't going to play along, Derek turned away from Haley with a devilish grin on his face. "Hey bro!" the fraud called out to Nathan, where he turned his attention to. "We should catch a game down at the Rivercourt."

Not wanting to turn away from Haley, Nathan simply replied, "Yeah…" It took a moment before a bad feeling sunk into Nathan, but not for their baby's sake. He didn't know Derek all that well, and they had spent hardly any time with each other except for introductions, but Nathan knew things were off. He added a quiet, "Bro…" in a mocking manner before asking curiously, "You play?"

His smiling warming up to somewhat sincere, Derek tilted his head once more as he started, "Yeah, I—"

Recognizing that signature head-tilt, Haley took a deep breath and her eyes grew wide. She didn't know what she couldn't see if from the moment the imposter walked into the café, but she knew what he was trying to do now. It seemed more obvious than ever, but it wasn't to everyone. Trying to save everyone from more trouble, Haley tried to signal Nathan to leave the conversation. When she couldn't seem to get his attention, she interrupted and asked, "Nathan, can I talk to you?"

Putting his hands out to stop Nathan from standing, and Haley from speaking any more, Derek remarked, "Oh, this will just take a second, Hales." He waited for a moment with the grin still on his face, but no one budged. She wanted Haley to leave them alone, to have a conversation with Nathan, but it seemed like it'd take more convincing. "Let your favorite guys talk heart to heart for a little," the fraud added in a sweet tone.

"What?" Nathan blurted out, now standing. He was angry with the way he and his wife were just stopped, but he hated even more that this guy was pretending like he knew them. Confused, all Nathan could do was stare at Derek and wait for answers.

Haley started to back away from the counter, reaching behind her for the phone. She picked it up slowly and announced, "'I'm calling the police."

Derek shook his head and cooed, "Ooh." He held out his hand, with the pointer finger up. He shook his finger in a disapproving way as he stated, "Stupid move." He started to back away as well, watching Haley begin to dial the numbers. He picked up the speed as he started to exit the café. Derek nodded politely at Nathan, then at Haley, and called out, "I'll see you guys later."

Still standing, Nathan glanced over at Haley. He threw his hands into the air in a confused matter and scrunched his forehead. "What the hell was that?" he questioned, just before Haley began speaking with 911.


	16. Chapter 16

Running her fingers through her hair, Peyton quickly turned around when she heard Lucas reenter the bedroom. She positioned herself on the bed so she could face him comfortably. She could tell by the strange expression on his face that it wasn't a telemarketer calling, or a usual phone call. "Who was that?" she questioned with a touch of concern.

Setting the phone down on his nightstand, Lucas looked at Peyton with worried eyes. He had answered the phone in front of Peyton, knowing it was only Haley calling, but when her message grew in seriousness, he had left the room. He swallowed hard, not wanting to tell Peyton all of the details for the same reason he walked away when talking to Haley. Peyton already had it hard enough and he didn't want to put her through more of it. Hoping it would make a difference in the way she handles the news, Lucas held his hands out in a cautionary manner and started, "Don't freak out, alright?"

Looking away, Peyton broke eye contact with Lucas. The expression on his face was killing her, and those penetrating eyes of his weren't so lovable but more worrisome at the moment. "Okay, telling me not to freak out kinda makes things worse," Peyton mumbled and she shifted her weight once more, obviously fidgety.

"Sorry…" Lucas quickly apologized, hoping he hadn't done more damage. He sat down next to her on the bed and placed his hand on her leg, rubbing it supportively. "It's just not good news," he explained, wanting to break it to her gently.

"Luke!" Peyton exclaimed, moving back slightly in anxiousness. She finally looked back up to him and stared into Lucas' eyes, her own wide with terror. "Just tell me already!" she pleaded.

Mentally kicking himself for stalling too much, Lucas took Peyton by the hands. He wanted to be able to take the time to calm her, but he knew the more he hesitated, the worse he would make the situation. He had already done enough waiting, and announced, "Haley and Nathan just had a little run in with him…"

Peyton raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding. She kept a hold of Lucas' hands, as she repeated, "Him..?" Like a ton of bricks, the person Lucas was talking about flashed into her mind. Her grip on Luke's hand grew tight and she bounced slightly on the bed, getting closer to her boyfriend and protector. "The Psycho?!" she questioned loudly, already knowing the answer.

Letting go of one of her hands, Lucas reached up towards Peyton's cheek. He could see that she was ready to break down or freak out, and he didn't want either for his girl. In a soft voice, Luke started, "Peyton…"

Pushing off of the bed, Peyton backed away from Lucas and onto her feet. She knew everyone meant well, but all Lucas could give her was words. He could say that things would be alright, but he didn't know that. He already said he would keep her safe, but that doesn't mean other people weren't in harms way. This freak was attacking their lives and it wan uncontrollable. The police were supposed to be on his track but they haven't been able to stop him so far. The guy was pushed out the second story of her house and onto shattered glass, but he was still terrorizing Tree Hill. Just thinking that someone else could get hurt in this scenario, Peyton quickly asked, "Are they okay?"

"Yeah!" Luke responded, turning his body towards Peyton. He rose as well, standing in front of her, but he could see she was trying her hardest to get away. Wanting and needing to keep her still, Lucas reached out and placed his arms around her. "They're fine," he stated in a reassuring manner, trying to her to stand still and just take in the fact that things weren't as bad as they could be.

Peyton swallowed hard and nodded. "Good," she cooed in a soft voice. Peyton rested her head on Lucas' shoulder, also trying to calm herself. She hated being so fidgety, especially since she knew that's how she was when she tried to avoid things, but it was her default setting. Peyton raised her hand to Lucas' chest and felt his gentle heartbeat against the palm of her hand. Finally, she let herself admit, "If something happened to them it'd be all my fault, and—"

"It wouldn't be your fault, Peyton," Lucas interjected without hesitation. He kissed her forehead carefully before pulling away enough to meet her eye. He could see that she honestly felt guilty for this, and she shouldn't. "This guy has some issues, but that isn't your problem."

Still with her hand on his chest, Peyton let her hand slide from over his heart to the top of his abs. She could feel the frame of his body from beneath his thin shirt, and it was comforting. The way he held her, and the way she could touch him was something she would never take for granted, but at the same time, it reminded her of where she was a few months ago. It reminded her of all the time before Lucas, and the time she had to make a connection elsewhere. "If I wasn't on the internet, then none of this would've started," Peyton remarked.

He knew she was going to keep picking away at herself, but Lucas just couldn't see why she was being so drastic and dire. Luke let out a soft chuckle and stated, "If you weren't on the internet, you probably would've been born a few decades ago."

Looking at Lucas, Peyton scowled slightly. "Seriously, Lucas," she stated.

"Sorry." Lucas stared her in the eyes sincerely along with his apology. He had a feeling it'd be too soon to joke about this thing, but he thought he'd give it a shot if it would make her feel better. Luke took Peyton in his arms and hugged her gently, wanting her to trust him with her feelings. He knew that she did, and they let their guards down around each other way more than with other people, even if not fully, but sometimes he had to make sure she wouldn't turn away. He let go after a moment and shrugged his shoulders. He explained, "I just think it's stupid that you're blaming yourself for this thing."

Shrugging as well, Peyton exhaled deeply. She honestly couldn't put into words why she was being such a spazz. She wasn't usually the type of person to let her fears get the best of her. For however many years she made herself be the strong one, now she felt as weak as the people she frowned upon. All she could come up with was, "I'd just feel a lot better if he was caught and behind bars."

Lucas nodded, understanding that she was going through a lot right now. "And he will be," he stated reassuringly as he kissed her forehead once more. He stroked her back in a soothing manner as he waited in silence. He didn't know if his girlfriend was going to elaborate more on her feelings, or if she just wanted to leave it all at that, but anything she wanted to say or do, he'd welcome.

Peyton backed away from Lucas and sat on the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair to put her hair out of her eyes. She looked back up at Luke and smiled faintly at him, trying to show she'd be alright. Peyton held one of her hands out and took Lucas', pulling him down to sit with her. It had been quiet between them for a few minutes, as they simply sat. They adjusted on the bed so they were more comfortable, and somehow found their way into each other's arms as they snuggled. "So where did they see him?" Peyton asked, finally breaking the silence.

Stroking her hair as they laid together, Lucas quietly replied, "Actually, he went into the café." He was still alert enough to talk to Peyton, and to hold her close, but there was something about the calm in the room that had taken over both of them. It was like after so much drama, they were just winding down in the midst of it.

With her head resting on his chest, Peyton thought out loud, "That's stupid…" She ran one of her fingers along his chest, drawing out patterns as her eyelids grew heavy and her mind was still sifting through thoughts. "Is he trying to get himself caught?" she questioned with a little more enthusiasm in her voice.

"I don't know," Lucas cooed as his lips touched her soft curls and pressed gently against them. He yawned slightly and remarked, "But it's making more sense for us to stay here."

It was merely minutes before both of them had fallen asleep, and the room was completely silent once more. But to the outsider, snooping beneath the windowsill, it was a moment of weakness. What might seem peace to all others was just an in to the man that would never be apart of their world. The Psycho smirked devilishly and watched the way the two were with each other. He loved the beauty in Peyton's eyes when they would go wide with terror, and then he'd mimic the comforting movements and touches Luke would lay upon her. They were like his textbook and he studied them so carefully. Now all he needed was to do his homework.


	17. Chapter 17

Over an hour had passed, and the inside of Lucas Scott's house was more peaceful than ever. The rooms were silent and motionless. The only thing that woke Luke was the sun shining through his bedroom windows, and landing on his face. He was glad to be the one facing the light, because when he inched his head downwards, he was able to watch Peyton sleep.

She was so beautiful, and he loved seeing her in such a serene state. It gave him the chance to wonder about her thoughts, and daydream about her dreams. The simple act of watching Peyton sleep gave him a lot more warmth and tranquility than anyone could ever imagine. He simply grinned at the angelic face below him as he held her body close and filled his mind with their happily ever after.

Not long after drifting back to sleep Luke perked up with the sound of his bedroom door creaking open. He sat up abruptly and peered towards the door. He leaned to his side and reached over Peyton, sheltering her body with his own. Lucas blinked hi eyes repeatedly to wake himself enough to protect the two of them. When he was finally alret enough to make out the images around him, he noticed a familiar face standing at the doorway. "Hales?" he muttered softly.

"Hey," Haley replied softly, sorry she woke him, and possibly Peyton. She knew what it was like to be so in love that falling asleep in your loved one's gentle embrace was like heaven. All she could do in that moment was smile at her friends and be happy to see they found the same bliss.

Peyton stirred to find Lucas slightly above her. She raised her hand to his chest and smiled warmly at him. He looked down at her to see she let off a soft glow, jut waking up and warm from her company. It was one of the best feelings in the world to know that she found love in her best friend, and they could both have it that way. Lucas smiled back and rubbed Peyton's arm in a supportive and caring manner. She puckered her lips slightly and tilted her head up towards his, wanting to be closer.

Haley quickly interjected in a joking manner, "And I always thought Peyton would be big spoon." It wasn't that Haley wanted to keep them from being together, but she also didn't want to witness something that Peyton thought her and Lucas were alone for.

Chuckling softly, Lucas gave Peyton a peck on the cheek before sitting up completely. It was a second later that Peyton sat as well, yawning slightly. She leaned into Lucas' arms, using his body to keep her warm. "Hey Haley," Peyton greeted in a sleepy and dry voice.

"Did I ruin the mood?" Haley questioned, a smile on her face and slightly red cheeks. She was embarrassed for being there at the wrong time, but she could always kill her blushing with a little humor.

"Yes," Peyton replied quickly, glaring. She quickly wiped the gloom off of her face and added, "But we're used to it." It took Peyton a moment to wake further as she arched her back and tilted her head in each direction, stretching her stiff body.

Lucas brought his hand up to the back of his head and rustled through his hair. He loved watching Peyton with her little habits of stretching after sleep, or the way she pouted with her monotone voice, and then smirked with her wit. But twice in a row, someone else ended up in his room with them, and he wasn't able to just take these things with the sweetness of his girl. "What's up?" Luke asked to Haley, wondering why exactly she was in his room at this moment.

Haley perked up at the attention of her friends. She took a step closer to them and placed a basket on the foot of the bed. "I just brought you guys with tons of goodies," Haley explained. She started to strum through the objects, calling out what was there. "Junk food, movies, condoms—" She stopped abruptly and stared up at the two of them. She had a way of rambling and letting her subtle jokes slip, but only the people that truly knew her would understand that quirk. "Kidding," she added with a smile.

Letting out a chuckle, Lucas nodded, noting the joke. It was a classic Haley move, and just one more thing he loved about her. He leaned forward and put his hand in the basket, looking through the gods. "Thanks, but you didn't have to do this."

"It wasn't me," Haley declared. She pushed the basket aside and sat in its place, turning her body towards the two of them. "Your mom wanted to make sure you guys would be okay here," she explained. Haley reached into the basket and pulled out a piece of licorice, snacking on it. She couldn't help herself when she saw sweets, even if she was in the middle of a conversation. It wasn't until after she finished chewing that she enlightened further, "And since I had a feeling she doesn't know her son might be playing doctor with the guest, I offered to deliver the goods."

Lucas blushed at the statement and let out a soft chuckle as he nodded his head. He quickly wiped he smirk off his face and raised an eyebrow to his friend. "And yet you still didn't knock," he stated smartly.

With a shrug, Haley grinned back and didn't think much more about butting in on her friends, or their new budding relationship. So much had happened in the past few days, even the past few hours, that a million thoughts could be passing through each of their brains and the words expressed would still be on topic. In a more serious tone, Haley turned to blonde friend and asked, "How you holding up, Peyton?"

Peyton pushed her shoulders back, stretching slightly. She was obviously still a little sleepy, but was fighting it. She wasn't quick to answer, still thinking and waking herself up. She finally replied, "I'm good." It took Peyton a moment before she looked up to her friends and flashed glances between the two of them. She could see confusion on their faces, and frankly she didn't even expect herself to answer that way. "I mean, it could be a lot worse, right?" she elaborated, finding some sort of peace that she hadn't expected.

"Whoa…" Haley said as she stood up. She held her hands out to her side and looked around her, with a look of confusion on her face. "Am I in the right bedroom right now?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow as well, looking over his girlfriend. He didn't know what had come over her, but it wasn't anything he'd complain about. It made him feel better, knowing she wasn't in the pits and looking on to the brighter side of things. It was the only way that they'd ever be able to lead their lives in a normal way after all the traumatizing events they've lived through.

He smiled slightly and looked over his shoulder to see Haley still spinning around. "No," he answered her with a chuckle. He stood up and gave Haley a little nudge towards the door. "Get out," he stated, still working on getting alone time with Peyton. He knew Haley had just done him a great favor by bringing the basket, but they were okay. Lucas and Peyton were dealing with whatever they had been through and are still going through.


End file.
